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I  01Z7 


NOTES  FOR  A  STUDY  IN 
CITY  PLANNING 


IN 


CHAMPAIGN-URBANA 


BY  THE 

1913  AND  1914  CLASSES  IN  CIVIC  DESIGN 
AT  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


CHICAGO 

R.   R.  DONNELLEY  &  SONS   COMPANY 

1915 


EXPLANATORY   NOTE 

This  publication  is  otfered  to  the  public  by  the  Department  of 
Horticulture  of  the  University  of  Illinois  in  an  effort  to  stimulate  a 
general  interest  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  civic  betterment.  Having 
as  a  subject  conditions  existing  in  Champaign  and  Urbana,  it  embodies 
general  principles  of  procedure  which  relate  to  civic  problems  every- 
where; it  may,  therefore,  be  considered  as  typical,  and  its  application 
is  by  no  means  confined  to  the  specific  examples  presented  here.  While 
it  is  the  work  of  students,  primarily  as  a  portion  of  their  regular  city 
plan  study,  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  the  entire  work  is  not  only 
directed  and  supervised  but  carefully  criticised  and  brought  together 
by  Charles  Mulford  Robinson,  Professor  of  Civic  Design  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois.  Mr.  Robinson  has  spent  several  weeks  studying  civic 
conditions  in  Urbana  and  Champaign  as  a  means  of  bringing  before  the 
students  in  landscape  gardening  practical  and  concrete  material  which 
will  be  helpful  to  them  in  their  professional  work.  For  the  benefit 
of  those  who  are  not  acquainted  with  the  facts  it  should  be  stated 
here  that  Mr.  Robinson  is  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  America  in  the 
field  of  modern  civic  art.  He  is  the  author  of  a  number  of  the  best 
books  on  questions  of  town  and  city  improvement.  Those  interested 
in  the  city  planning  movement  should  read  especially  Professor  Robin- 
son's books  "Modern  Civic  Art"  and  "The  Improvement  of  Towns 
and  Cities,"  published  by  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons,  New  York,  and  "Width 
and  Arrangement  of  Streets  —  A  Study  in  City  Planning,"  published 
by  the  MacGraw-Hill  Book  Company,  New  York. 

Joseph  Cullen  Blair, 
Head  of  the  Department  of  Horticulture. 
December,  30,  1914.. 


314297 


FOREWORD 

To  give  concreteness  and  practicability  to  their  work,  the  191 3 
and  1914  classes  in  Civic  Design  were  required  to  make  a  study  of 
civic  conditions  in  Champaign  and  Urbana.  The  results  of  this  study, 
tho  it  was  necessarily  somewhat  superficial,  are  partly  embodied  in 
the  observations  on  the  following  pages.  Each  student  had  assigned 
to  him  a  theme  to  report  upon;  and  these  reports,  subsequently  dis- 
cussed in  the  class  room,  are  the  signed  chapters  that  follow. 

In  addition,  the  four  regular  students  in  the  class  of  191 3  were 
each  required  to  write  a  brief  introduction  to  the  reports;  but  as  it 
would  have  been  tiresome  to  repeat  these,  they  have  been  thrown  into 
a  single  chapter.  This  has  been  done  by  taking  complete  paragraphs 
from  each  and  using  nothing  which  was  not  written  by  the  students. 
The  introduction  as  given  may  be  fairly  considered,  therefore,  as  a 
composite,  representative  of  the  united  views  of  the  Civic  Design  stu- 
dents in  the  class  of  1913,  and  hence  properly  signed  by  them  all. 
In  the  case  of  subsequent  chapters  which  are  signed  by  more  than 
one  student,  the  students  themselves  combined  their  independent 
theses. 

It  is  obvious  that  to  make  an  authoritative  city  plan  for  Champaign 
and  Urbana  was  not  the  prime  purpose  of  this  study  of  the  Twin  Cities. 
But  because  it  is  realized  that  in  the  press  of  busy  lives,  and  the  in- 
sistency of  personal  interests,  few  persons  have  had  opportunity  for 
dispassionate  and  comprehensive  study  of  the  local  civic  problem,  the 
theses  have  been  brought  together  in  the  belief  that  they  will  prove  at 
least  interesting,  and  perhaps  instructive  and  suggestive.  If  they 
contain,  further,  recommendations  which  commend  themselves  as 
directly  valuable  and  helpful,  the  classes  will  be  glad  that  they  were 
able  to  do  in  this  way  a  public  service  for  the  cities  which  house  their 
alma  mater  and  to  which,  thru  all  their  lives,  they  will  look  back  with 
affectionate  tenderness. 

A  final  word  must  be  said  as  to  the  statement  that  the  results  of  the 
study  are  only  partly  embodied  in  the  observations  on  the  following 
pages.  This  is  because  its  most  important  result  was  upon  the  students 
themselves,  in  the  quickening  of  their  social  consciousness  and  the 
broadening  of  their  civic  outlook.     While  this  could   not  be  written, 


Foreword 

perhaps  the  careful  reader  may  be  able  to  detect  something  of  it  between 

the  lines. 

Charles  Mulford  Robinson, 

Professor  of  Civic  Design. 
April,  1914. 


CONTRIBUTING     STUDENTS 

Class  of  IQIJ 

R.  W.  Hoffman  Otto  Shaffer 

D.  R.  Hull  W.  L.  Taylor 

J.  F.  Thomason 

Class  of  191 4 

C.  B.  Andrews  H.  S.  Mueller 

C.  H.  Diggs  L.  W.  Ramsay 

C.  S.  Hill  H.  T.  Reeves 

William  Hornal  Jean  K.  Ripley 

W.  M.  Welty 


CONTENTS 

Page 

Town  Data .      .  xi 

Introduction i 

Sanitation 3 

Railroad  Transportation 10 

The  Electric  Railways 13 

The  Main  Traffic  Streets 17 

Secondary  Streets        24 

Street  Trees 31 

The  Parks 34 

Playgrounds 45 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Fig.  Page 

1.  Population  curves,  L  rbana  and  Champaign,  1912 xii 

2.  Population  curve,  Urbana  and  Champaign  combined,  1912 xiv 

3.  Encroachment  on  sidewalk  space   and   low   awnings   in   Champaign's   business 

district 17 

4.  The  need  of  lower  curbs  and  of  street  cleaning  in  the  center  of  Champaign's 

business  district 18 

5.  A  street  jog 18 

6.  Uncontrolled  advertising 20 

7.  The  present  terminus  of  Main  street.  Champaign,  presents  no  serious  obstacle 

to  the  street's  extension 21 

8.  Map  showing  traffic  streets,  and  existing  and  proposed  boulevards  and  parks  22 

9.  View  of  a  typical  residence  street,  showing  absence  of  front  fences     ....  24 

10.  The  typical  carriage  landing  of  Champaign-Urbana 25 

11.  Poles  and  wires,  and  a  side  parking  that  is  worse  than  useless 26 

12.  A  sidewalk  bridge  on  an  "improved"  street 27 

13.  A  sidewalk  jog           27 

14.  A  typical  alley 29 

15.  Some  street  trees  inherited  from  the  past 31 

16.  Butchering  street  trees  to  make  room  for  wires 32 

17.  Proposed  boulevard  drive  to  golf  links 34 

18.  White  Park 36 

19.  Triangle  back  of  city  hall 38 

20.  The  writhing  walk  of  Scott  Park,  Champaign 39 

21.  A  railing  that  does  not  protect,  in  Scott  Park 39 

22.  Lagoon  in  Crystal  Lake  Park,  L'rbana 41 

23.  Views  of  the  grounds  of  the  Colonel  Wolfe  school,  showing  neglected  oppor- 

tunities      47 


TOWN   DATA 

Urbana 
I.  Social. 

a.  Character  of  the  town 

The  general  character  of  Urbana  is  educational,  it  being  the  seat  of 
the  University  of  Illinois. 

b.  Leading  industries 

Urbana  is  the  county  seat  of  Champaign  county,  and  has  the  court 
house.  One  of  its  biggest  industries  is  the  housing  and  feeding  of  the 
students  and  instructors  who  are  connected  with  the  university.  The 
shops  of  the  "Big  Four"  railway  are  located  here.  In  addition  there  are 
three  or  four  brick  kilns,  an  iron  foundry,  several  lumber  yards,  and  the 
county  poor  farm. 

c.  Population 

On  account  of  the  small  number  of  manufactories,  there  are  com- 
paratively few  of  the  poorer  class  of  people.  The  foreign  and  black  ele- 
ments form  a  very  small  part  of  the  aggregate  population.  The  following 
table,  taken  from  the  United  States  Census  Reports,  shows  the  population. 
Fig.  I  shows  the  rate  of  increase  in  population  in  Urbana  in  comparison 
with  that  of  Champaign. 


Year 

Total 

Native                   Foreign 

Whites 

Blacks 

1850 

210 

not  available 

210 

0 

i860 

1370 

not  available 

1360 

10 

1870 

2277 

2017                   260 

2237 

40 

1880 

2942 

not  available 

not  avail 

lable 

1890 

35II 

3257                   254 

3445 

66 

1900 

5728 

5428                   300 

5657 

71 

I9IO 

8245 

7907                   338 

8110 

135 

Legislative. 

a.  Charter 

Urbana  is  incorporated  under  the  general  Incorporation  Act  of  Illinois. 

b.  Ordinances 

Local  improvements,  such  as  sidewalks,  paving,  etc.,  are  paid  for  by 
the  owners  of  the  abutting  property,  except  from  5  to  10  per  cent  of  the 
cost,  which  is  assessed  against  the  entire  city,  on  the  theory  that  all  the 
citizens  will  help  wear  them  out.  For  these  improvements  ten  year  bonds 
are  issued,  payable  in  installments. 

As  regards  paving  on  streets  where  there  are  car  tracks,  the  street 
car  company  pays  for  eight  feet  of  pavement  along  the  right  of  way. 

The  city  may,  at  any  time,  order  the  telephone  company  to  put  all, 
or  any,  of  its  poles  in  the  alleys  or  on  the  back  lot  lines. 

c.  State  laws 

Sections  70-75  of  Chapter  114,  Illinois  Statutes,  provide  that  a  railroad 
shall  keep  and  maintain  a  safe  crossing.  If  a  crossing  is  deemed  unsafe, 
the  city  may  order  the  railroad  to  repair  it;  if  this  is  not  done  in  thirty  days, 
the  city  has  it  done  and  charged  up  to  the  railroad,  which  has  to  pay  a  fine 
of  one  hundred  dollars. 

The  Urbana  park  system  is  operating  under  the  law  of  1898,  called  the 
Hale  Act.  This  allows  a  city  to  issue  3  per  cent  of  its  assessed  valuation 
in  bonds  for  general  improvement  purposes,  and  provides  a  .003  tax  for 
maintenance. 


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Fig.  I. —  Population  Curves,  Urbana  and  Champaign,  1912 

xii 


Town  Data 

III.  Financial 

a.  Bonded  indebtedness 

The  bonded  indebtedness  amounts  to  about  twenty  thousand  dollars. 

b.  Borrowing  capacity 

A  city  may  bond  itself  for  not  more  than  5  per  cent  of  its  assessed  valu- 
ation.    Urbana  has  a  margin  of  about  eighty  thousand  dollars. 

c.  Tax  rate 

General  taxes  may  not  exceed  2  per  cent  of  the  assessed  valuation. 
The  assessed  valuation  is  33  per  cent  of  the  true  valuation. 

d.  Public  gifts 

Judge  Cunningham  gave  fifteen  acres  north  of  Crystal  Lake.  Mrs. 
Morris  gave  the  land  for  Carle  Park,  about  ten  acres. 

e.  Franchises 

The  cit\'  street  car  lines  have  a  twenty  }'ear  franchise,  given  about 
live  years  ago. 

The  Illinois  Traction  System  has  a  fifty  year  franchise,  given  about 
eight  years  ago. 

The  water  company  was  given  a  thirty  year  franchise  about  one  year 

The  Bell  telephone  company  was  given  an  unlimited  franchise;  how- 
ever, since  the  Supreme  Court  has  held  that  a  city  cannot  grant  perpetual 
franchises,  the  Bell  compan)'  has  no  franchise. 

IV.  History 

Urbana  was  made  the  county  seat  of  Champaign  county  in  1833. 

The  first  court  house  was  erected  in  1837  on  the  site  of  the  present 
building. 

The  first  term  of  the  County  Commissioners'  Court  was  held  in  June, 
1833,  in  the  house  of  Isaac  Busey. 

The  first  printing  press  in  the  county  was  established  in  1852,  in  the 
court  house. 

Champaign 
I.  Social 

a.  Character  of  the  town 

The  general  character  of  Champaign,  like  that  of  Urbana,  is  educational. 
There  are  a  few  manufactories,  but  not  enough  to  overbalance  the  educa- 
tional character.  The  manufactories  tend  to  cause  the  larger  foreign 
element. 

b.  Leading  industries 

In  Champaign,  as  in  Urbana,  the  principal  occupation  is  the  housing 
and  feeding  of  the  students  and  instructors  of  the  university.  The  shops 
of  the  Illinois  Central  railroad,  a  tool  factory,  a  piano  factory,  a  mattress 
factor}.',  and  a  structural  steel  plant  are  located  here. 

c.  Population 

Champaign  is  a  younger  town  than  Urbana,  but  shows  a  better  rate 
of  increase  in  population.  A  glance  at  the  following  table,  which  is  taken 
from  the  United  States  Census  Reports,  and  the  curve  on  page  xii,  will 
show  this  clearly. 


Year 

Total 

Native 

Foreign 

White 

Black 

i860 

1727 

not  avail 

lable 

1696 

31 

1870 

4625 

3667 

958 

4502 

123 

1880 

5 103 

4306 

797 

4830 

273 

1890 

5839 

4982 

857 

5587 

252 

1900 

9098 

8125 

973 

8694 

404 

1910 

1 242 1 

1 1469 

952 

1 1662 

759 

Fig.  2  shows  the  rate  of  increase  in  population  for  the  combined  cities, 
xiii 


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Fig.  2. —  Population  Curve,  Urbana  and  Champaign  Combined,   191: 


Town  Data 


II.  Legislative 

a.  Charter 

Champaign  is  also  incorporated  under  the  general  Incorporation  Act 
of  the  state  of  Illinois. 

III.  Financial 

a.  Bonded  indebtedness 

The  bonded  indebtedness  amounts  to  about  thirty-five  thousand  dollars. 
It  is  nearly  all  on  account  of  the  new  street  lighting  system  which  is  now 
being  installed. 

b.  Borroztnng  capacity 

The  city  may  bond  itself  for  not  more  than  5  per  cent  of  its  assessed 
valuation.     The  assessed  valuation  is  33  per  cent  of  the  true  value. 

c.  Tax  rate 

General  taxes  may  not  exceed  2  per  cent  of  the  assessed  valuation. 
The  assessed  valuation  of  Champaign  is  about  two  million  dollars. 

d.  Public  gifts 

White,  or  West  Side  Park  was  given  by  Benjamin  White. 
Scott,  or  East  Side  Park  was  given  by  James  R.  Scott. 
Washington  Park  was  given  by  the  Fairland  Place  land  company. 
Beardsley  Park  was  given  by  George  Beardsley. 
The  other  twenty  smaller  parks  were  all  given  by  private  citizens. 

e.  Franchises 

The  franchise  for  the  city  car  lines  expires  in  1920. 

The  Illinois  Traction  System  franchise  expires  in  1940. 

The  water  company's  franchise  expires  in  1940. 

The  Home  telephone  company's  franchise  is  for  thirty  years. 

The  Bell  telephone  company  operates  under  the  same  conditions  as 
in  Urbana. 

The  electric  lighting  franchise  for  houses  expires  in  1925.  There  is 
no  franchise  for  street  lighting. 


IV.  History 


When  the  Illinois  Central  built  its  branch  from  Chicago  to  the  south, 
the  intention  was  to  go  thru  Urbana;  however,  since  one  man  refused 
to  give  the  right  of  way,  the  railroad  was  forced  to  build  out  about  two  miles 
west  of  Urbana.  Here  a  station  was  erected  and  called  Champaign.  Since 
then  a  rapidly  growing  city  has  sprung  up.  The  land  on  which  Champaign 
is  built  was  nearly  all  swampy  land,  and  the  mud  holes  had  to  be  filled  up 
before  any  construction  work  could  be  accomplished. 

The  first  building  was  built  by  the  Illinois  Central  in  1853. 

In  1855  Urbana  inhabitants  tried  to  absorb  the  new  village,  but  the 
citizens  of  the  \'illage  forestalled  them  by  organizing. 

On  Jul)'  24,  1854,  the  first  Illinois  Central  train  was  run  between 
Champaign  and  Chicago. 

H.  S.  Mueller. 


NOTES   FOR   A   STUDY    IN    CITY   PLANNING    IN 
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA 

INTRODUCTION 

Because  of  the  prosperity  of  the  university  and  of  the  surrounding 
farming  community,  Champaign  and  Urbana  are  continually  growing. 
Steps  should  be  taken  to  safeguard  this  growth,  both  from  an  aesthetic 
and  from  a  practical  point  of  view. 

This  does  not  mean  that  there  is  not  much  in  the  two  cities  which 
is  already  worthy  of  praise.  The  streets,  as  a  rule,  are  wide  and  have 
been  planted  with  trees.  Insufficient,  but  large  areas  have  been 
reserved  for  park  purposes.  On  the  other  hand,  the  cities'  sanitary 
systems  are  bad  and  should  receive  immediate  attention.  A  city's 
first  duty  is  to  make  itself  a  healthful  place  in  which  to  live. 

There  are  other  problems  of  a  more  strictly  city  planning  nature. 
Main  avenues  of  traffic,  for  instance,  are  of  particular  importance, 
since  they  bind  the  community  together  and  unify  it.  If  these  thru 
traffic  ways  are  to  be  most  efficient,  the  secondary  or  residence  streets 
must  be  well  planned.  Unless  the  residence  portions  of  the  city  satisfy 
the  needs  of  its  dwellers,  there  is  necessity  for  a  change  of  conditions. 
\\  here  children  are  forced  to  do  their  playing  in  the  streets,  we  can 
hardly  expect  them  to  develop  into  the  type  of  men  and  women  which 
the  city  needs.  By  the  creation  of  neighborhood  parks  or  by  the  use 
of  a  school  ground  for  play  area,  the  child  may  be  given  an  opportunity 
not  only  for  physical  strength  but  for  mental  and  moral  as  well.  Parks, 
parkways,  and  open  spaces  in  or  about  the  city  are  not  wasted  area. 
They  serve  a  moral  and  physical  need,  and  prove  a  profitable  invest- 
ment in  any  city.  The  railroads  and  other  means  of  transportation 
by  which  the  Twin  Cities  are  served  also  demand  our  careful  attention. 

Such  are  some  of  the  problems,  of  concern  to  every  citizen  of 
Champaign  and  Urbana,  to  which  the  following  pages  have  been 
devoted.  The\-  are  taken  up  under  five  separate  headings.  Each 
is  important  to  the  general  scheme,  no  one  more  so  than  another. 
Minute  details  could  not  be  gone  into  here;  the  subjects  are  treated 
only  in  a  general  way. 

In  this   study  we  have  endeavored,   finally,   to   keep   in   mind   the 

[1] 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 


present  and  future  requirements  of  the  cities.     It  will  not  be  possible, 

nor  would  it  be  advisable,  to  make  all  the  changes  herein  recommended 

in  the  near  future.     But  we  have  suggested  nothing  which  is  ultimately 

impracticable.     We  have  kept  the  future  growth  of  the  cities  in  mind, 

and  have  tried  to  promote  this  growth  along  artistic  lines,  in  so  far  as 

general  utility  and  practicability  would  permit. 

R.  W.  Hoffman. 
D.  R.  Hull. 
Otto  Shaffer. 
W.  L.  Taylor. 


[2] 


SANITATION 

The  subject  of  sanitation  is  a  most  important  part  of  a  plan  pro- 
viding for  a  city's  welfare.  Even  tho  we  have  a  civic  center  perfectly 
planned,  with  handsome  buildings;  even  tho  we  have  well  paved  streets 
lined  on  either  side  with  beautiful  homes,  shaded  by  trees;  even  tho 
we  have  parks  and  playgrounds  beautifully  designed  and  well  equipped; 
even  tho  we  have  a  street  car  system  serving  the  whole  city;  with  all 
these  desirable  and  essential  things,  we  may  still  have  a  city  impossible 
to  live  in  safely.  If  our  well  paved  streets  have  improper  drainage 
and  are  not  kept  clean;  if  our  beautiful  homes  are  not  supplied  with 
pure  water  and  are  not  provided  with  proper  sewerage  connections;  If 
our  parks  and  playgrounds  are  not  drained;  if  we  permit  smoke  and 
gases  from  our  public  buildings,  manufacturing  establishments,  or 
our  homes,  to  pollute  the  air;  if  these  things  are  permitted,  we  shall 
have  a  city  endangering  the  health  and  lives  of  its  inhabitants. 

The  four  main  headings  under  which  sanitation  will  be  discussed 
are  water,  food,  air,  and  wastes.  Because  of  its  dependence  upon  the 
other  three  parts,  the  subject  of  air  will  be  considered  last. 

The  cities  of  Champaign  and  Urbana  are  supplied  with  water  of 
good  sanitary  quality.  Its  physical  quality  is  not  so  good,  owing  to 
the  presence  of  iron.  The  water  is  supplied  by  the  Champaign  and 
Urbana  water  company.  It  comes  entirely  from  drilled  wells,  nineteen 
in  number  at  present,  which  are  sunk  to  a  depth  of  150  feet  or  more. 
Additional  wells  are  drilled,  from  time  to  time,  as  they  are  needed. 

Each  well  is  equipped  with  an  electric  pump  which  raises  the 
water  into  reservoirs,  from  which  it  passes,  after  settling,  into  a  second 
set  of  reservoirs.  From  these  it  passes  thru  a  specially  designed  filtra- 
tion system  which  removes  the  iron.  After  passing  thru  the  filters  it 
is  pumped  into  the  distributing  system.  At  present  the  filtration 
system  is  not  working  very  efficiently.  However,  improvements 
which  promise  to  produce  good  results  have  been  worked  out  and 
adopted  by  the  company. 

The  Illinois  State  Water  Survey  reports  that,  altho  the  water  is 
hard,  it  compares  favorably  with  other  Illinois  ground  and  surface 
water.  The  supply  seems  to  be  ample,  and,  up  to  the  present  time, 
there  has  been  no  trouble  in  finding  water  when  new  wells  are  drilled. 

[3] 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 

The  most  urgently  needed  improvement  is  an  extension  of  the 
water  mains  into  those  districts  which  are  not  supplied.  This  will 
help  to  do  away  with  the  open  well,  which,  in  cities,  is  always  a  menace 
to  health.  The  Twin  Cities  are  also  very  much  in  need  of  more  drinking 
fountains.  These  ought  to  be  placed  in  the  parks  and  in  the  business 
districts.  As  the  cities  pay'  nothing  for  water  used  in  public  buildings 
or  for  drinking  places,  the  only  expense  of  this  improvement  would 
be  the  cost  of  the  fountains  and  of  placing  them. 

Food,  in  its  relation  to  sanitation,  is  a  very  important  item.  The 
vehicles  in  which  food  is  brought  to  the  city;  the  warehouses  within 
which  it  is  stored  after  arriving;  the  retail  stores  thru  which  it  passes; 
the  methods  of  handling,  packing,  and  delivery;  all  are  vitally  connected 
with  a  clean  food  supply.  It  is  necessary  that  not  merely  one  but  all 
of  these  various  stages  of  the  journey  of  our  daily  bread  from  the 
producer  to  our  kitchens  should  receive  careful  attention.  If  any  one 
part  of  the  process  is  neglected,  the  care  exercised  in  the  other  parts 
is  either  partly  or  totally  destroyed. 

In  this  respect,  conditions  in  the  two  cities  are  fairly  good.  There 
are,  however,  some  merchants  who  are  very  careless  as  to  keeping 
store-rooms  and  back  yards  clean.  A  trip  thru  the  alleys  of  either  busi- 
ness district  will  convince  even  the  casual  observer  that  much  could  be 
done  to  improve  their  appearance.  In  the  heaps  of  rubbish,  ashes, 
broken  boxes,  and  even  decaying  fruit,  there  is  plainly  a  menace  to 
the  health  of  the  community.  Flies  swarm  about  and  pass  in  and 
out  of  the  stores,  carrying  a  burden  of  germs  which  may  spread  dis- 
ease over  the  entire  city. 

A  more  rigid  inspection  and  a  stricter  enforcement  of  clean  up 
laws  should  be  insisted  upon.  After  all  is  said,  the  city  remains  directly 
responsible  for  such  conditions.  The  duly  appointed  health  officers 
should  see  to  it  that  everything  in  their  power  is  done  to  keep  the  food 
supply  clean.  Champaign  has  a  health  officer.  His  salary  is  ^^15  per 
month.  He  is  allowed  an  assistant  who  receives  $2  per  day.  It  is 
not  reasonable  to  expect  a  trained  man  to  do  much  when  he  is  paid 
such  a  small  sum  as  $15  per  month,  and  it  is  not  reasonable  to 
expect  a  man  who  will  work  for  $2  a  day  to  be  vitally  interested  in  or 
capable  of  doing  such  important  work  as  a  health  officer's  assistant 
ought  to  do. 

The  collection  and  disposal  of  waste  is  the  largest  item  connected 
with  sanitation  and  is  one  in  which  every  citizen  is  directly  interested. 
There  are  two  main  divisions  in  this  part  of  the  problem:    solid  wastes, 

[4] 


San  it ai ion 

and  liquid  wastes.  Under  solid  wastes  come  ashes,  rubbish,  and  gar- 
bage; under  liquid  wastes  come  storm  water  and  sanitary  sewerage. 

The  problem  of  waste  disposal  grows  rapidly  in  seriousness  as 
population  becomes  more  dense.  Small  towns  and  cities,  located  in 
an  open  country,  are  little  troubled  about  their  wastes.  When  popula- 
tion increases  and  towns  become  more  numerous,  the  waste  problem 
becomes  more  serious.  It  is  no  longer  fair  or  safe  to  cart  rubbish  and 
garbage  into  outlying  districts  and  dump  it,  or  to  turn  sewerage  into 
the  nearest  stream  and  let  it  pass  down  with  the  current.  We  must 
consider  the  rights  of  the  neighboring  towns.  They  may  be  forced 
to  use,  for  drinking  purposes,  water  from  the  very  river  we  have  polluted 
with  our  waste.  The  cows  which  supply  our  milk  may  drink  from  the 
stream  into  which  we  empty  our  sewerage. 

The  easiest  way  to  dispose  of  solid  wastes  is  to  cart  them  off  and 
dump  them.  Up  to  a  certain  point  that  is  not  bad  practice.  If  the 
ashes,  or  rubbish,  is  kept  free  from  garbage,  dumping  into  holes  or 
swamps  may  eventually  improve  the  general  appearance  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. In  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  the  city  has  for  years  been  dump- 
ing rubbish  upon  unsightly  flats  along  the  Merrimac  river.  Along 
one  side  of  the  river  the  flats  are  tilled  in  and  the  area  of  made  land 
is  used  as  a  playground.  The  other  side  is  being  filled  and  will  be  used 
for  the  same  purpose.  Of  course,  careful  inspection  prevails,  and  only 
solid,  non-decomposable  wastes  are  dumped. 

Champaign  and  Urbana  are  using  the  dumping  system.  Many 
lots  which  were  below  grade  have  been  filled.  At  present,  regular 
dumps  are  located,  in  Urbana,  northeast  of  the  business  district,  on  the 
lowland  between  the  Big  Four  shops  and  the  brick-yard;  in  Champaign, 
in  the  district  north  of  the  business  section,  near  the  Johnson  piano 
company's  plant.  Both  these  dumps  are  reserved  for  solid  wastes 
and  are  kept  in  good  sanitary  condition.  There  is  plenty  of  room  in 
these  places  to  care  for  the  cities'  waste  for  many  years  to  come. 

The  present  need  is  more  thoro  collection.  The  back  yards  and 
alleys  thruout  the  residence  district  are  fairly  well  kept.  There  are, 
however,  enough  exceptions  to  warrant  a  clean  up.  At  present  some 
of  the  worst  ofltenders  are  among  those  whom  we  would  least  suspect. 
The  back  yards  of  Fraternity  Row,  which  are  up  against  the  "Bone- 
yard,"  are  more  in  need  of  a  clean  up  than  those  in  Bonnerville. 

Moreover,  streets  and  alleys  are  not  kept  clean.  On  Neil  street, 
one  of  the  most  used  streets  of  Champaign,  there  is  almost  always  a 
mass  of  waste-paper  and  other  rubbish  lying  in  the  gutters.     In  an 

[5] 


A  Study  nz  City  Planning 


alley  within  a  half  block  of  the  intersection  of  Neil  and  Church  streets, 
the  heart  of  the  business  district,  and  within  ten  feet  of  the  sidewalk, 
there  is  a  cellar-window  area-way  completely  filled  up  with  sidewalk 
sweepings,  old  newspapers,  and  other  rubbish. 

Two  other  area-ways  further  back  are  nearly  filled.  On  a  recent 
trip  of  inspection  in  this  vicinity  the  writer  found,  within  forty  feet  of 
the  sidewalk,  a  garbage  can  overflowing  with  a  mixture  of  garbage, 
broken  crockery,  tin  cans,  and  other  rubbish.  A  dead  rat  lay  in  the 
alley,  and  several  live  rats  scurried  off  when  they  heard  the  sound  of 
footsteps.  Less  than  two  blocks  from  the  same  corner  may  be  found  a 
stable,  the  litter  from  which  is  piled  up  within  three  feet  of  the  sidewalk. 
The  billboard  which  screens  it  from  view  does  not,  however,  hold  back 
the  odors  which  permeate  the  air  for  a  half  block  in  every  direction. 
Less  than  three  blocks  from  the  Illinois  Central  depot  may  be  found 
stables,  built  almost  out  to  the  sidewalk,  from  which  a  stifling  odor 
comes,  making  it  distinctly  unpleasant  to  the  passer-by.  Yet  hundreds 
of  citizens  and  students  must  pass  there  every  day  on  their  way  to  the 
banks  and  stores.  Other  instances  could  be  quoted,  but  enough  has 
been  said  to  show  that  reforms  are  needed. 

The  city  should  insist  upon  more  thoro  street  cleaning;  it  should 
provide  suitable  receptacles,  conveniently  placed,  for  papers  and  other 
rubbish  and  should  keep  them  emptied;  it  should  insist  upon  clean 
back  yards  and  clean  sanitary  conditions  about  stables.  If  property 
owners  as  individuals  cannot  be  made  to  clean  up  their  places,  the  city 
should  do  the  cleaning.  It  must  be  done  because  the  welfare  of  all  the 
people  is  dependent  upon  the  action. 

The  disposal  of  garbage  is  more  difficult  than  the  disposal  of  rubbish. 
Dumping  is  a  nuisance,  is  unsanitary,  and  destroys  property  values. 
There  are,  however,  various  means  of  disposing  of  garbage  in  a  sanitary 
way.  It  may  be  fed  to  hogs,  buried,  burned,  or  the  grease  may  be 
extracted  by  putting  it  thru  the  reduction  process.  For  small  cities 
and  towns  the  first  two  methods,  possibly  the  third,  are  best.  In 
Champaign  and  L'rbana,  garbage  is  collected  by  scavengers,  under 
contract,  and  is  buried.  This  is  a  very  good  solution  of  the  problem. 
Urbana  is  now  considering  installing  a  plant  to  burn  its  garbage. 

To  give  the  best  results  thru  burying  it,  garbage  must  be  kept 
free  from  all  rubbish,  or  solid  wastes  of  any  kind,  which  will  not  decay. 
The  most  urgently  needed  reform  at  present  is,  then,  to  require  every 
householder  to  keep  separate  cans  for  garbage  and  other  solid  wastes 
and  to  insist  upon  systematic  and  regular  collections  from  every  house. 

16] 


Sanitation 

The  disposal  of  liquid  wastes  is  perhaps  the  most  serious  division  of 
the  whole  sanitation  program.  This  is  because  an  elaborate  and  often 
very  expensive  system  of  underground  pipes  is  required  to  carry  the 
wastes  to  a  place  where  they  may  be  safely  disposed  of.  There  are 
two  kinds  of  liquid  waste:    storm  water,  and  sanitary  sewerage. 

The  Twin  Cities  have  separate  systems  of  disposal  for  these  wastes 
and  a  plant  fairly  sufficient,  as  far  as  it  goes,  to  purify  the  sanitary 
sewerage  before  it  is  turned  loose  into  the  Salt  Fork.  The  disposal 
plant,  which  consists  of  two  settling  tanks  located  back  of  the  Big 
Four  railroad  shops  in  Urbana,  is  too  small  for  the  present  supply  of 
sewerage,  and  as  soon  as  the  districts  which  are  yet  to  be  connected 
begin  to  turn  their  sewerage  into  it,  it  will  be  entirely  inadequate  to 
meet  the  demand. 

There  are  several  places  in  both  cities  where  sewerage  runs  into 
the  "Boneyard,"  either  directly  or  indirectly  thru  topping  of  storm 
water  sewers.  There  are  districts  in  Urbana  where  privies  are  still  in 
use.  In  some  instances  open  wells  and  privies  are  within  a  short 
distance  of  each  other. 

The  privies  must  go.  There  is  no  excuse  for  their  use  in  a  city  having 
sewerage  facilities.  They  are  a  menace  not  only  to  the  people  using 
them  but  also  to  the  whole  community,  which  may  suffer  because  of 
a  contagious  epidemic  caused  by  them.  Open  wells,  too,  should  be 
eliminated.  Of  the  four  deaths  from  typhoid  fever  in  the  two  cities 
during  the  past  year  (1913),  three  were  due  directly  to  the  water  used 
from  open  wells. 

The  cities'  most  urgent  needs,  as  regards  sewerage,  are  to  prevent 
all  sew6*age  from  entering  the  "Boneyard";  to  fill  up  all  privies  and 
forbid  their  use  in  the  future;  to  extend  sewers  into  all  districts  as  yet 
unprovided  for;  and  to  increase  the  size  of  the  disposal  plant. 

The  division  of  "pure  air"  has  been  left  until  the  last  because  it 
is  dependent  to  a  great  extent  upon  the  other  divisions  of  sanitation. 
The  amount  of  the  air  supply  and  its  sanitary  condition  are  important 
to  the  health  of  the  city.  The  supply  must  be  abundant  and  pure,  in 
the  heart  of  the  city  as  well  as  in  outlying  districts.  To  be  pure  the 
air  must  be  free  from  dust,  smoke,  gases  from  manufacturing  plants, 
and  from  the  odors  that  arise  from  unclean  stables,  swamps,  unclean 
back  yards,  and  alleys. 

The  general  direction  and  width  of  streets,  the  size  of  street  trees, 
the  height  of  buildings, —  all  have  a  direct  bearing  on  a  city's  air  supply. 
If  streets  are  narrow  and  crooked  (especially  when  tall  buildings  are 

[7] 


A  Study  in  City  PI  angling 

placed  at  the  turnings),  or  if  street  trees  are  planted  too  closely,  there 
will  be  parts  of  the  city  which  do  not  receive  enough  pure  air.  Urbana 
and  Champaign  are  fortunately  located  where  they  have  an  abundant 
supply  of  pure  air  to  draw  upon.  There  are  no  natural  handicaps  to 
overcome,  and  if  they  do  not  receive  a  sufficient  suppl}^,  it  is  due  either 
to  their  own  carelessness  or  neglect.  There  are,  however,  conditions  ex- 
isting, either  thru  carelessness  or  thru  ignorance  of  their  serious  harm- 
fulness,  which  should  be  remedied. 

Soft  coal  is  almost  the  onh'  fuel  used  in  the  cities,  and  clouds  of 
smoke  may  be  seen  at  almost  any  time.  Manufacturing  plants  are 
the  worst  offenders,  tho  stores,  public  buildings,  and  residences  each 
contribute  a  share.  The  question  is  serious  enough  to  demand  atten- 
tion, and  smoke  ordinances  should  be  enforced  requiring  offenders 
to  install  either  better  types  of  drafts  or  smoke  consumers. 

Very  little  street  cleaning  or  sprinkling  is  done;  consequently, 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  every  breeze  stirs  up  clouds  of 
germ-laden  dust  which  blows  into  houses  and  stores  and  must  be 
breathed  by  the  passer-by.  When  it  rains,  the  pavements  are  covered 
with  mud.  A  great  deal  could  be  done  to  remedy  this  condition  if 
systematic,  regular  street  cleaning  were  inaugurated.  Hundreds  of 
vagrants  come  to  the  Twin  Cities  every  year,  some  of  them  honestly 
in  search  of  work,  who  might  be  employed  in  this  way  to  the  advantage 
of  all  concerned.  This  is  especially  true  of  conditions  prevailing 
during  the  summer  months,  when  plenty  of  such  assistance  is  available. 
Careful  utilization  of  such  resources  not  only  promotes  improvement  in 
sanitation,  but  serves  to  remedy  another  aspect  of  social  welfare — that 
of  caring  for  the  unemployed. 

The  "Boneyard"  stream  is  a  serious  offender  against  pure  air. 
During  much  of  the  year  the  flow  of  water  is  not  large  enough  to  flush 
the  stream-bed  properly,  and,  as  a  result,  deposits  are  left  which  de- 
compose and  create  a  stifling,  almost  nauseating,  odor.  This  stream 
is  not  intended  to  carry  sanitary  sewerage,  yet  in  two  places,  one  in 
Champaign  and  one  in  Urbana,  sewerage  was  found  flowing  into  it. 
For  a  number  of  years  there  has  been  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  some 
citizens  to  secure  a  conduit  down  the  length  of  the  stream  and  then  to 
cover  it  over.  Opposition  to  this  plan  arises  principally  because  of 
the  cost.  The  mere  cost  in  dollars  should  not  be  permitted  to  determine 
the  question.  Should  a  serious  epidemic  arise  as  a  result  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  stream,  the  loss  to  the  cities,  both  in  dollars  and  in  the 
welfare  of  their  citizens,  would  far  exceed  the  cost  of  a  conduit. 


Sanitation 

There  is  need  of  a  more  fully  equipped  health  department.  Cham- 
paign sets  aside  about  twenty  cents  per  capita  for  health  purposes; 
Urbana,  about  five  cents  per  capita.  In  order  to  carry  out  thoroly 
all  the  important  details  connected  with  a  city's  sanitation,  it  is  necessar\' 
to  have  trained,  competent  men  appointed,  and  to  pay  them  enough 
to  enable  them  to  put  in  their  full  time  and  thought  on  working  out 
and  improving  sanitary  conditions.  The  health  of  a  city's  inhabitants 
is  of  the  highest  importance,  and  should  be  most  carefully  protected. 

Otto  Shaffer. 


M 


RAILROAD   TRANSPORTATION 

In  the  study  of  a  city  plan  we  find  that  the  transportation  problem 
is  of  vast  importance;  that  the  relation  which  a  city  may  have  with 
the  outside  world  by  steam,  electric,  or  water  route  has  much  to  do  with 
the  condition  of  that  city. 

Champaign  and  Urbana  are  fortunate  in  having  within  their  limits 
three  steam  and  two  electric  lines.  These  roads,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Wabash  and  the  new  interurban,  are  thru  lines  having  a  large 
freight  and  passenger  service.  And  a  further  point  of  great  advantage 
to  the  Twin  Cities  is  the  location  in  them  of  the  Big  Four  and  Illinois 
Central  shops.  Those  for  the  Big  Four  are  located  northeast  of  Urbana, 
occupying  a  section  of  land  which  is  so  cut  off  by  railroads,  and  in  itself 
so  low,  as  to  be  undesirable  for  residence  purposes.  The  prevailing 
winds  are  such  that  the  smoke  from  these  shops  is  not  objectionable. 
The  Illinois  Central  shops,  located  well  to  the  north  of  Champaign, 
are  also  favorably  placed  with  reference  to  the  prevailing  winds.  A 
large  area  suitable  for  workingmen's  homes  is  available  near  these  shops. 

With  all  this  value  which  we  have  reason  to  attach  to  the  steam 
and  interurban  lines,  together  with  the  praise  which  they  should  justly 
have,  we  find  that  they  are  not  without  some  conditions  which  are  bad, — 
conditions  which  we  as  citizens  should  try  to  remedy,  if  we  are  to  keep 
pace  with  the  demand  for  better  things. 

First  may  be  mentioned  the  duplication  of  passenger  stations  for 
the  steam  roads  in  each  of  the  two  cities.  Poorly  located  and  inefficient 
as  the  stations  are,  this  duplication  is  a  needless  expense  to  the  roads 
and  trouble  to  the  traveler.  Moreover,  no  thought  has  been  given 
to  the  comfort  of  travelers  during  inclement  weather  (of  which  we  have 
no  small  amount),  poor  accommodations  being  offered  for  those  entering 
and  leaving  the  cars. 

A  union  station  in  Urbana  on  the  site  of  the  present  Wabash  station 
could  be  used  by  both  railroads  and  also  by  the  interurban  cars.  This 
would  greatly  decrease  the  expense  for  each  road  and  make  the  service 
much  more  satisfactory-.  At  some  time  in  the  future  a  Mall  might  be 
opened  up  from  the  courthouse  direct!)'  north,  giving  a  long  vista  thru 
to  Crystal  Lake  Park,  and  passing  the  union  station  and  other  public 
buildings  which  might  face  upon  the  open  area. 

lioj 


Railroad  Transportation 


In  Champaign  a  union  station  could  be  placed  to  advantage  on 
\\  ashington  street  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  old  Illinois  Central 
shop  grounds.  The  Big  Four  and  Wabash  tracks  for  passenger  service 
could  cross  the  Illinois  Central  at  this  point  and  curve  back  again  to 
the  old  tracks  within  a  short  distance.  The  interurban  and  street  car 
tracks  might  also  be  extended  to  pass  thru  the  station  or  in  front  of  it, 
making  one  which  would  be  centrally  located  and  more  efficient  in  every 
way  than  the  present  arrangement. 

The  freight  stations  of  the  steam  roads  do  not  present  so  serious  a 
problem  as  do  those  for  passengers.  The  freight  station  of  the  Illinois 
Central  in  Champaign  is  perhaps  the  most  objectionable,  since  it 
necessitates  the  location  of  freight  yards  across  important  traffic 
streets.  A  station  north  of  the  Big  Four  tracks  and  west  of  the  Illinois 
Central  tracks  would  be  advantageously  placed.  Ample  ground  could 
be  obtained  here  for  freight  yards  and  exchange  purposes,  and  only  a 
short  haul  would  be  necessary  to  the  business  and  factory  districts. 
In  Urbana,  the  present  location  of  the  freight  depots,  if  they  were 
combined,  would  probably  satisfy  all  needs  for  the  future.  Under 
the  present  conditions,  no  single  road  has  sufficient  traffic  to  justify 
the  installation  of  modern  freighting  conveniences,  but  by  combining 
the  freight  houses  of  the  Twin  Cities  much  expense  in  handling  and 
transferring  freight  might  be  saved. 

An  objection  which  is  brought  forcibly  to  our  daily  notice,  and 
which  cannot  be  emphasized  too  strongly,  is  the  railway  crossing  of 
streets  at  grade,  particularly  along  the  Illinois  Central  tracks  in  Cham- 
paign. Here  the  large  amount  of  east  and  west  city  traffic  is  cut  by 
the  railroad  tracks,  to  the  great  delay  of  street  car,  interurban,  and 
general  street  traffic.  At  a  few  street  crossings  the  street  has  been 
lowered  to  pass  under  the  tracks,  but  this  condition  is  not  entirely 
satisfactory.  It  is  undesirable  to  carry  the  railroad  over  the  street 
by  a  viaduct.  Elevated  tracks  greatly  decrease  the  value  of  property 
facing  on  the  street,  which  must  usually  be  lowered,  and  the  resulting 
street  grade  is  dangerous. 

By  depressing  the  Illinois  Central  tracks  from  Green  street.  Cham- 
paign, to  a  point  north  of  the  Big  P^our  tracks,  we  could  allow  the  street 
crossings  to  remain  at  the  present  level  and  still  be  unobstructed  by 
the  railway  traffic.  A  construction  of  this  sort  would  also  change  the 
grade  of  the  Illinois  Central  tracks  from  those  of  the  Wabash  and  Big 
Four,  thus  removing  the  dangerous  railroad  crossings.  Lowering  the 
tracks  would  also  make  possible  the  street  plan  as  proposed,  allowing 

1111 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 

jMain  street  to  be  carried  over  the  tracks  unobstructed  by  them,  and 
permitting  a  plaza  in  front  of  the  station,  with  an  attractive  setting 
for  various  public  buildings.  By  proper  construction  and  effective 
plantings  this  space  above  the  lowered  tracks  could  be  made  an  attractive 
feature  of  the  city. 

The  right  of  ways  for  different  roads  entering  the  cities,  so  far  as 
their  tracks  are  on  the  surface,  should  be  planted  to  screen  out  the 
undesirable  features.  The  tumble-down  shack  and  the  gaudy  bill- 
board are  at  present  the  most  noticeable  features  of  the  landscape, 
with  an  occasional  dumping  ground  to  add  a  bit  of  interest.  Billboards 
might  at  least  be  regulated,  if  not  entirely  removed.  \\  arehouses  and 
factories  are  shabbily  constructed,  no  thought  having  been  given  to 
make  them  attractive.  This  may  be  done  by  plantings  and  by  more 
careful  construction.  In  short,  the  various  approaches  to  the  Twin 
Cities  should,  in  a  degree  at  least,  represent  the  civic  pride  of  those 

cities. 

D.  R.  Hlli,. 


THE    ELECTRIC   RAILWAYS 

The  factors  which  enter  into  the  planning  of  a  successful  city  rail- 
way system,  adequate  to  the  needs  of  the  people,  may  be  said  to  have 
been  largely  determined  by  usage  and  past  experience.  Every  cit}' 
has,  however,  special  peculiarities  which  it  must  study,  and  special 
problems  which  it  must  try  to  solve  so  as  to  create  a  well-balanced, 
efficient,  and  economical  electric  railway  system. 

The  following  table  with  its  approximate  figures  will  serve  to  convey 
some  idea  of  the  local  electric  railway  situation,  as  now  existent: 


Item 

Approximate  population  .  .  .  . 
Approximate  area  in  miles  .  .  .  . 
Electric  railway  in  miles       .  .  .  . 

Double  track,  percentage   

Used  by  interurban,  percentage 
L  sed  bv  interurban  onlv 


Twin  Cities 

Champaign 

Urbana 

2 1 ,000 

12,000 

9,000 

10. 0 

4-5 

5-5 

12.3 

7-4 

4-9 

13-8 

7-4 

23.2 

40.4 

39-S 

42.0 

0.28 

0.46 

none 

Because  the  Twin  Cities  have  grown  from  east  to  west  rather  than 
from  north  to  south,  the  main  lines  of  traffic  are  in  an  east  and  west 
direction  joining  the  two  towns.  The  cross-town  lines  —  that  is,  the 
north  and  south  lines  —  are  of  secondary  importance  only  and  are 
developed  as  such. 

The  local  problem  resolves  itself  into  five  questions:  First,  the 
necessity  of  establishing  a  direct  route  or  connecting  link  between  the 
two  cities.  Second,  the  handling  of  the  congested  traffic  in  the  business 
section  of  Champaign.  Third,  the  establishment  of  a  suitable  terminal 
in  Urbana.  Fourth,  a  means  of  crossing  the  Illinois  Central  railroad 
tracks  at  University  avenue  otherwise  than  at  grade.  Fifth,  the  estab- 
lishment of  better  or  new  service  in  the  rapidly  developing  sections  of 
Champaign  and  Urbana.     We  shall  take  these  up  in  order. 

While  the  Twin  Cities  are  mutually  independent,  it  is  essential 
to  have  a  direct  means  of  communication  between  the  two  business 
sections.  There  are  two  reasons  for  this:  first,  since  time  is  a  factor 
in  every  phase  of  life,  it  would  prove  an  economy, —  an  economy  of 
time,  especially  to  those  having  business  interests  in  both  cities.  Al- 
ready the  amount  of  thru  tiaffic  from  business  center  to  business  center 


A  Study  in  City  Plaruiing 

alone  is  a  sufficient  reason  for  establishing  this  direct  route.  The 
natural  route  to  be  followed  is  the  thru  traffic  way,  University  avenue. 
This  new  route  would  mean  a  gain  of  about  fifteen  minutes  in  making 
the  trip  between  the  cities.  Along  with  economy  of  time  it  would 
serve  another  and  very  important  purpose.  It  would  benefit  a  stagnated 
district  southeast  of  Crystal  Lake  Park,  now  dependent  on  private 
carriers  and  foot  traffic. 

The  second  problem  is  the  handling  of  traffic  in  the  business  section 
of  Champaign.  This  problem  is  due  to  the  ill-planned  intersections 
of  Main,  Neil,  and  Church  streets,  and  may  be  in  part  alleviated  by 
a  rearrangement  of  time  schedules  and  in  part  by  traffic  regulations. 
Four  car  lines,  not  including  those  of  the  Illinois  Traction  System, 
center  in  the  business  district.  As  the  schedules  are  now  arranged, 
three  cars  meet  every  twenty  minutes  at  this  intersection.  When  an 
interurban  car  is  making  a  turn  at  these  corners,  the  congestion,  bad 
enough  with  onh'  the  three  cars,  becomes  much  more  serious.  This 
very  often  happens.  Street  traffic  is  held  up  and  general  confusion 
and  disorder  result. 

The  congestion  of  the  pedestrian  traffic  is  perhaps  more  marked 
than  that  of  vehicle  traffic,  especially  at  the  closing  time  of  stores 
and  during  the  shopping  period.  At  rush  hours,  the  meeting  of  the 
three  cars  draws  a  large  group  of  people  who  obstruct  traffic  because 
of  the  limited  sidewalk  space. 

A  combination  of  three  changes  would  remedy  this  fault.  First, 
the  provision  of  a  suitable  waiting  station  is  a  real  need.  At  present 
the  people  while  waiting  for  cars  seek  the  Tucker  drug  store  in  such 
numbers  that  all  of  the  people  cannot  be  accommodated,  and  in  case 
of  rain  serious  inconvenience  is  given  to  many.  A  well  designed 
waiting  station  would  be  an  addition  to  the  business  district  in  an  aes- 
thetic way  and  would  relieve  congestion.  Second,  the  car  schedule 
should  be  such  that  while  cars  would  be  expected  to  meet  at  these 
streets,  they  would  not  wait  for  one  another.  Passengers  who  missed 
the  connection  would  be  comfortable  in  the  waiting  station.  The 
street  traffic  would  not  then  be  blocked,  and,  as  compared  to  present 
conditions,  there  would  be  about  one-third  of  the  number  of  people 
waiting  for  cars.  Third,  there  should  be  constructed  an  isle  of  safety 
of  elliptical  form,  one  end  of  which  would  be  centered  on  Main  street 
while  the  other  would  center  on  Church  street;  this  provision,  in  con- 
junction with  the  regulations  governed  by  it,  would  establish  rotary 
traffic  and  materially  aid  in  relieving  congestion.     The  third  of  these 

114] 


Electric  Railways 


remedial  features, — that  is,  the  establishment  of  an  isle  of  safety, 
along  with  a  proper  arrangement  of  street  railway  time  schedules, — 
would  offer  a  satisfactory  solution  of  the  vehicle  traffic  problem,  while 
the  waiting  station  would  take  care  of  the  obstruction  to  pedestrian 
traffic.  Thus  the  congestion  in  the  business  section  of  Champaign 
would  be  taken  care  of  in  the  simplest  and  most  efficient  manner. 

With  reference  to  the  third  problem,  the  establishment  of  a  suitable 
terminal  in  Urbana,  the  several  electric  lines  connecting  Champaign 
and  L  rbana  have  their  respective  termini  at  the  intersection  of  two 
principal  streets  in  the  heart  of  Urbana's  business  section;  in  fact,  four 
lines  in  Urbana,  those  from  the  east,  the  north,  the  west,  and  the  south, 
terminate  at  this  intersection.  Since  there  is  a  congestion  and  confusion 
caused  by  the  switching  of  cars  at  this  terminal  point,  the  problem  of 
elimination  may  best  be  solved  by  the  establishment  of  a  loop  located 
in  the  corner  of  the  northeast  block,  directly  north  of  the  courthouse. 
Here  there  are  already  situated  two  interurban  stations  which,  improved, 
would  form  a  nucleus  around  which  to  build  the  loop.  At  present  the 
carrying  out  of  this  suggestion  is  not  a  necessity,  but  as  business  in- 
creases so  will  congestion  increase  in  a  direct  ratio,  and  property  values 
as  well.     Thus  the  problem  has  vital  importance  even  now. 

The  fourth  problem,  that  of  the  grade  crossing  of  University  avenue 
and  the  Illinois  Central  railroad,  presents  probably  the  most  deplor- 
able defect  in  the  present  railroad  situation.  Here  traffic  is  being  held 
up  at  intervals  to  the  exasperation  of  the  traveling  public.  These 
delays  impair  efficiency  and  economy  of  operation  as  well  as  keep  the 
public  in  constant  jeopardy.  A  subway  at  this  point  seems  to  be  the 
most  practicable  means  of  alleviating  this  condition.  Preliminary 
steps  have  been  taken  in  this  direction;  but  at  present  the  matter  seems 
to  be  indefinitely  held  up,  due  to  the  necessity  of  acquiring  abutting 
property.  The  practicability  having  been  established,  the  aesthetic 
side  will  not  be  forgotten,  it  is  hoped. 

Coming  to  the  fifth  of  the  named  problems,  we  find  growth  in  Cham- 
paign taking  place  in  a  southwesterly  direction  toward  the  higher 
ground,  where  no  obstacles  interfere,  as  do  the  railroad  right  of  ways 
on  the  north  and  east,  and  the  factory  section  on  the  west.  Already 
there  is  a  marked  tendency  to  this  movement.  The  development  has 
preceded  proper  carrying  facilities,  and  it  is  important  to  give  service 
to  this  outlying  district.  This  ma\'  be  done  by  extending  the  car  line 
south  on  Prospect  avenue,  as  far  as  the  Country  Club.  If  a  certain 
number  of  cars  were  run  over  the  interurban   tracks,   the  additional 

1151 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 

service  would  assist  in  promoting  the  development  of  that  section. 
Similarly,  Urbana  is  growing  to  the  south,  and  daily  the  need  of  addi- 
tional transportation  facilities  is  there  making  itself  manifest.  The 
development  of  a  first-class  residence  section  in  this  direction  is  well 
under  way,  and  the  time  has  come  for  efficient  and  properly  located 
electrical  railway  extensions. 

To  sum  up  the  whole  situation,  there  is  much  to  commend  in  the 
car  system  of  the  two  towns.  The  cars  are  of  a  good  type  and  are 
large  enough  to  fill  all  present  requirements.  The  double  track  laid 
during  the  past  year  has  improved  the  service  remarkably,  and  a  like 
impetus  is  looked  for  in  the  new  interurban  station,  located  not  alto- 
gether fortunately,  yet  in  such  a  way  as  to  eliminate  interurban  traffic 
thru  the  main  business  streets.  With  the  additional  features  suggested, 
improved  from  time  to  time,  as  with  double  tracking  and  with  the 
closer  schedules  which  increasing  population  and  business  will  demand 
and  justify,  and  with  the  complete  installation  of  modern  equipment, 
the  local  railway  system  will  become  a  common  carrier  wholly  adequate 
and  well  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  Twin  Cities. 

Charles  H.  Diggs. 
Chance  S.  Hill. 
William  Hornal. 


[16]  . 


THE   MAIN   TRAFFIC   STREETS 

Much  can  be  said  in  praise  of  the  main  traffic  streets  of  the  Twin 
Cities.  By  the  main  traffic  streets  I  mean  those  streets  of  the  business 
and  residence  sections  which  afford  direct  communication  between 
any  two  important  points  and  on  which  traffic  is  the  heaviest.  They 
may  lead  from  town  to  town,  thru  the  residence  neighborhoods  of 
either  city,  or  from  either  town  to  the  outlying  districts.  All  are  well 
paved  and  have  good  grades,  and  almost  all,  except  a  few  in  the  business 
district  of  Champaign,  are  sufficiently  wide  to  accommodate  the  traffic 
on  them. 

Those  streets  of  Champaign  which  need  widening  are  Main  street 
from  Neil  to  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  tracks,  and  Neil  street  from 
the  Big  Four  railroad  south  to  University  avenue.  Prohibitive  cost 
may  render  an  immediate  widening  impracticable;  however,  as  the 
present  structures  along  the  two  streets  are  old  and  inadequate  for 
present  needs,  they  will  soon  have  to  be  rebuilt,  and  the  process  of 
widening  can  start  then. 


Fig.  3. EXCROACHMEXT     OX     SiDEWALK     SpACE     AXD     LoW     AwXIXGS     IX     ChAMPAIGN's 

Business  District 

[17] 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 


Fig.  4. —  1"he  Need  of  Lower  Curbs  and  of  Street  Cleaxixg  i\  the  Center  of 
Champaign's  Business  District 


Fig.  5. —  A  Street  Jog 
[18] 


Main  Traffic  Streets 


The  roadway  on  these  streets  should  be  at  least  fifty  feet  wide, 
and  there  should  be  a  fifteen  foot  sidewalk  on  each  side.  The  present 
width  of  sidewalk  and  pavement  are  respectively  ten  and  thirty-six 
feet.  This  is  entirely  too  narrow\  We  also  find  poor  building  and 
sidewalk  levels.  With  the  street  grade  and  width  established,  a  side- 
walk elevation  twelve  inches  above  that  of  the  roadway  should  be  set. 
Then,  with  these  elevations  established,  we  shall  have  a  basis  upon 
which  to  determine  the  building  level.  A  prohibition  of  encroachment 
on  the  sidewalk  space  would  greatly  facilitate  in  establishing  the  ground 
floor  level  of  buildings.  This  level  should  be  close  to  that  of  the  side- 
walk. 

Examples  of  bad  building  levels  are  those  of  Robeson's  department 
store  on  Neil  street,  and  of  Bradley's  confectionery  on  Main  street. 
Here  the  sidewalk  is  about  two  feet  higher  than  the  roadway,  and  the 
ground  fioor  is  about  two  feet  higher  than  the  sidewalk  elevation.  It 
was  necessar}"  to  place  a  stone  step  in  the  roadway  for  ascent  to  the 
sidewalk,  and  two  more  steps  on  the  sidewalk  lead  to  the  ground  floor. 
In  each  case  roadway  and  sidewalk  are  narrowed  considerably.  In  fact, 
the  walk  area  in  front  of  each  of  these  establishments  is  not  more  than 
ten  feet  wide,  which  is  entirely  too  narrow  for  that  section  of  the  city. 

Only  a  few  doors  in  either  direction  from  these  poor  examples  can 
be  found  examples  that  are  good.  At  Swannell's  drug  store  corner,  and 
in  front  of  jMittendorf  and  Kiler's,  there  are  fine  examples  of  sidewalk 
and  building  elevations.  Here  the  sidewalk  extends  from  the  curb 
back  to  the  building  line,  and  all  the  available  width  is  used  for  walking 
space. 

Along  with  the  above  conditions  we  find  poor  junctions  at  some  of 
the  corners.  The  corner  at  Church,  Alain,  and  Neil  streets  offers  an 
example.  Here  is  the  busiest  corner  in  the  Twin  Cities,  and  also  the 
terminal  point  of  all  urban  and  interurban  cars.  Church  and  JMain 
streets  do  not  intersect  as  one,  and  at  the  junction  a  sharp  corner  is 
formed,  making  a  bad  turn  for  street  cars  and  traffic.  The  situation 
is  dangerous  both  for  passengers  on  the  cars  and  for  pedestrians.  Only 
a  few  months  ago  a  very  serious  accident  happened  here.  A  street 
car  became  uncontrollable  in  the  congestion,  and  as  a  result  a  young 
woman  was  seriously  injured.  Some  means  should  be  taken  to  prevent 
congestion  and  avoid  future  accidents. 

There  are  also  other  conditions  which  need  attention.  In  both 
towns  the  advertising  is  uncontrolled.  The  merchants  are  permitted 
to  erect  awnings  and  electric  and  other  signboards   that  project  from 

[19] 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 

the  buildings  across  the  sidewalk.  Many  of  the  awnings  are  too  low, 
so  that  it  is  often  necessary  for  the  people  to  stoop  when  passing  under 
them.  These  low  erections  and  projections  narrow  the  available  width 
of  the  sidewalk,  and  thus  further  congestion.  A  regulation  of  some 
kind  should  be  adopted  to  prevent  this  nuisance.      It  may  be  in  the  form 


UXCON  TROLLED    Ad\"ERTIS1XG 


of  a  city  ordinance  to  forbid  the  erection  of  any  structure  projecting 
into  the  public  way.  All  means  of  advertising  should  be  either  inside 
the  building  or  directly  on  the  front  of  it. 

Another  bad  feature  found  in  the  Twin  Cities  is  the  crowding  of  the 
streets  and  sidewalks  with  telephone  and  electric  poles.  We  also  find 
drinking   fountains    and   waste   paper   barrels    placed    indiscriminately 

[20] 


Main  Traffic  Streets 


along  the  streets.  Recently,  at  SwannclTs  corner  on  Hickory  street, 
not  fifteen  feet  apart,  were  found  a  drinking  fountain  and  an  overflowing 
garbage  barrel — not  a  splendid  combination  so  close  together.  The 
fountain  was  a  good  feature  and  in  itself  well  placed.  Here  it  was 
convenient  for  pedestrians,  and  out  of  the  way  of  traffic.  The  garbage 
barrel,  unsightly  and  unsanitary,  was  wholly  out  of  place. 

From  the  business  district  we  pass  to  the  residence  neighborhood. 
Here  the  main  traffic  streets  are  in  much  better  condition.  Grading, 
paving,  street  widths,  parking  and  lawn  areas,  are  almost  ideal.  The 
sidewalk  levels  are  fairly  good,  but  their  width  in  some  districts,  es- 


Fig.  7. —  The    Present   Terminus    of    Main    Street,    Champaign,    Presents    No 
Serious  Obstacle  to  the  Street's  Extension 

pecially  around  the  university,  is  insufficient.  Here  the  traffic  at  all 
hours  is  heavy  and  congested,  still  we  find  no  sidewalks  more  than  six 
feet  wide.  In  many  cases  they  are  only  four  feet  wide.  At  present, 
it  is  often  necessary  for  the  people  in  passing  to  tread  upon  the  lawns 
and  parking.  Some  remedy  should  be  adopted,  and  I  think  the  addi- 
tion of  a  foot  or  two  to  the  width  of  many  of  the  walks  would  materially 
aid  in  overcoming  the  congestion,  and  enable  traffic  to  move  more 
rapidly  and  easily. 

In  the  leading  residence  streets  we  find  comparatively  few  telephone 
poles  and  wires.     They  are  generally  placed  along  the  back  lots,  or 

[211 


A  Study  in  City  Planfiing 


[22] 


Main  Traffic  Streets 


else  the  wires  are  underground.     This  system  should   be  used   thruout 
the  Twin  Cities. 

On  examining  the  main  traffic  streets,  we  find  no  tluu  connecting 
routes  from  Champaign  to  Urbana.  The  present  channels  of  main 
traffic  have  almost  adopted  themselves.  By  cutting  thru  a  few  streets 
to  form  connections,  this  s}'stem  can  be  completed  and  improved.  In 
Champaign  I  should  suggest  the  extension  of  Main  street  thru  to  Uni- 
versity avenue.  From  here  east  we  have  a  direct  route  thru  University 
avenue  to  Lincoln  avenue.  To  gain  direct  passage  from  there  to  the 
business  district  of  Urbana  it  is  necessary  to  make  another  extension, 
and  I  should  advise  a  direct  connection  from  University  avenue  and 
Lincoln  avenue  to  Orchard  and  Main  streets.  With  these  extensions 
the  shortest  route  between  the  two  cities  would  be  provided  for  without 
the  condemnation  of  any  valuable  property.  Thus  no  great  expense 
is  attached  to  this  proposal.  Here  we  would  have  a  direct  short  route 
and  the  saving  of  much  time  in  travel;  also  by  these  extensions  general 
traffic  would  be  kept  out  of  some  of  the  most  desirable  residence  dis- 
tricts. 

Another  needed  extension  is  one  from  Urbana  to  the  university 
along  Springfield  avenue.  To  obtain  this  route  it  will  only  be  necessary 
to  make  a  cut  thru  the  yard  along  the  north  side  of  the  old  L^rbana  High 
School  building,  and  to  widen  Railroad  street.  This  proposal  will 
not  involve  any  expense  for  the  purchasing  of  property.  Also  the 
heavy  traffic  will  be  centralized,  and  taken  from  the  more  residential 
streets. 

On  the  accompanying  map  (Fig.  8.)  all  of  these  proposed  changes, 
and  the  circulation  of  traffic  thruout  the  Twin  Cities,  can  readily  be 
seen. 

R.  W.  Hoffman. 


123] 


SECONDARY   STREETS 

Secondary  streets  constitute  by  far  the  largest  number  of  all  streets. 
They  give  to  the  cities  their  general  character  and  individuality.  They 
are  the  streets  on  which  most  of  us  live,  and  therefore  they  affect 
most  intimately  the  lives  of  the  largest  number  of  people.  Champaign 
and  Urbana  are  typically  "home"  cities.  When  we  think  of  them  we 
think  unconsciously  of  their  residence  streets. 

In  order  to  consider  these  with  a  measure  of  completeness,  it  is 
necessary  to  discuss  separately  the  different  kinds  of  streets,  and  the 
tree  planting  on  the  streets.  The  latter  subject  will  be  taken  up  in 
another  chapter. 

Not  all  streets,  it  will  be  observed,  are  equally  important  from  a 
traffic  viewpoint.  We  have,  then,  first,  the  strictly  residence  street, 
narrow  and  quiet;  second,  the  street  with  car  line  but  little  vehicular 
traffic;  and  third,  the  street  having  a  car  line  and  serving  thru  traffic 
purposes.     In  this  chapter  we  shall  consider  only  the  first. 

There  are  some  features  of  the  residence  streets  of  Champaign  and 
Urbana  of  which  the  citizens  should  be  justly  proud.     These  stand  out 


Fig.  9.- — Vncvv  OF  A  Typical  Residence  Street,  Showing  Absence  of  Front  Fences 

[24] 


Secondary  Streets 

strongl}',  and  are  powerful  factors  making  for  the  city  beautiful.  For 
example,  one  observes  few  division  line  and  front  fences.  Their  absence 
gives  an  air  of  greater  freedom,  adds  greater  apparent  width  to  the 
street  and  more  expanse  to  the  lawns. 

A  second  factor  tending  to  beautify  cities,  and  generally  well  ob- 
served here,  is  the  establishment  and  observance  of  building  lines. 
Probably  no  other  factor  adds  so  much  to  the  appearance  of  a  street 
as  the  location  of  the  houses.  When  set  back  and  in  alignment,  the 
street  gains  an  expansiveness  and  majestic  beauty  not  easily  acquired 
by  other  means. 

A  third  factor,  which  lends  to  efficiency  perhaps  more  than  it  adds 
to  beauty,  is  the  widening  of  residence  streets  where  these  approach 
business  thorofares.  A  good  local  illustration  of  this  is  offered  by 
Park  at  Neil  in  Champaign.  Absence  of  parkings  results  at  such  a 
place  in  increased  paving,  which  in  turn  may  care  occasionally  for 
overflow  traffic  from  congested  business  streets,  but  which  is  always 
of  value  in  enabling  the  merchants  whose  stores  abut  it  to  load  and 
unload  delivery  wagons  elsewhere  than  on  the  main  traffic  thorofares. 

There  are,  however,  numerous  existing  conditions  observed  on  the 
residence  streets  of  the  Twin  Cities,  which,  detracting  from  rather  than 
adding  to  the  cities'  beauty,  might  readily  be  corrected.  The  following 
are  examples. 


Fig.  lo. — The  Typical  Carriage  Landing  of  Champaigx-I  rbana 

[25] 


A  Study  in  City  Plmuiing 

1.  Enlarged  carriage  landings  on  parkings.  \Ian}'  of  these  land- 
ings are  far  too  large  to  serve  any  useful  purpose.  The  glare  of  cement 
is  displeasing;  doubly  so,  when  it  displaces  lawn  unnecessarily. 

2.  In  some  portions  of  the  cities  it  has  become  the  practice  to  erect 
tombstones  of  concrete  for  hitching  posts  on  parking  landings.  The 
appearance  of  all  such  streets  would  be  vasth'  impro\'ed  b}'  the  removal 
of  these  unattractive  objects. 

3.  Electric   light    and   telephone   poles   are   unsightly.      It  is   much 


Fig.  II. —  Poles  and  Wires,  axd  a  Side  Parkixg  that  is  \\'orse 
THAx  Useless 


better  to  place  these  on  the  rear  of  the  lots,  or  still  better  to  bur}'  the 
cables. 

4.  Neglected  parkings  are  rather  common.  They  detract  not 
only  from  the  appearance  of  the  individual  lawn,  but  also  from  the 
beauty  of  the  entire  street.  They  are  most  numerous  and  most  ne- 
glected in  front  of  vacant  lots.  To  remedy  this  condition,  I  suggest 
concerted  action  of  property  owners  along  a  unit  of  street.  One  laborer 
employed  by  them  will  keep  the  parking  in  first-class  condition  thruout 
the  season  at  a  price  varying,  probably,  from  15  cents  to  17  cents  per 
front  foot. 

5.  The  condition  of  walks  and  bridges  over  Silver  creek  is,  in  gen- 
eral, not  good.     In  some  instances  these  crossings  are  actually  dangerous. 

126] 


Srco)i(Iar\  St  mis 


Fig.  12. —  A  SiDE\v..\LK  Bridge  o\  a\  "Improved"   Street 

Frequently,    too,   they   are   elevated   unnecessarily,    resulting   either   in 
abrupt  street  grades  or  in  long  approaches  over  filled  ground. 

6.  The  general  condition  of  Silver  creek  is  bad.  In  some  places 
I  found  weeds  and  underbrush  growing  luxuriantl}-,  and  in  others  I 
found  quantities  of  garbage  dumped  upon  its  banks.  As  long  as  the 
creek  remains  an  open  waterway  thru  the  town,  its  sanitary  condition 
should  be  jealously  guarded. 


Fig.  13. —  A  Sidewalk  Jog 
1)71 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 


7.  Sidewalk  grades  at  street  intersections  may  be  much  improved 
by  giving  more  attention  to  grade  along  the  property  line.  Frequently 
the  walk  from  intersection  to  street  curb  is  unnecessarily  steep,  and 
during  rainy  and  freezing  weather  becomes  dangerous. 

8.  Parking  widths  should  never  be  less  than  three  feet.  One  was 
found  that  measured  but  ten  inches.  This  narrow  ribbon  of  grass 
seldom  does  well;  it  serves  only  to  emphasize  the  narrowness;  but  last 
and  most  important,  it  makes  no  provision  for  street  trees. 

9.  Numerous  instances  of  low  steps,  sometimes  as  little  as  three 
inches,  were  observed  in  private  walks  where  they  leave  the  public 
walks.  These  steps  are  due  to  grading  of  the  lawn.  They  should 
be  avoided  wherever  possible.  They  are  inconvenient,  and  may  be 
dangerous. 

10.  Public  sidewalks  should  align.     Some  existing  ones  do  not. 

11.  Many  curb  corners  are  very  sharp,  particularly  where  streets 
do  not  align.  Traffic  would  be  greatly  facilitated  if  a  longer  corner 
radius  were  used,  for  example: 


Finally,  I  append  a  list  of  proposed  changes  which  may  be  grouped 
as  "recommendations": 

1.  Uniform  cement  walks. 

2.  Greater  radius  at  street  corners  to  facilitate  traffic,  and.  to  lessen 
danger;  for  example,  at  Washington  avenue  and  the  Illinois  Central 
tracks.  Champaign. 

3.  Grading  at  street  curbs.  In  some  instances  a  ragged  overhang 
of  earth  was  observed.  This  not  only  detracts  from  the  appearance 
but  washes  badly  during  storms.  As  a  result,  streets,  even  when  paved, 
are  muddy  during  stormy  weather  and  dusty  when  dry,  and  sewers 
are  constantly  overburdened. 

4.  Establishment  of  minimum  width  of  parkings  at  three  feet. 

5.  Better  sidewalk  alignment.  In  some  cases  there  is  no  apparent 
reason  why  walks  do  not  align;  in  others,  trees  interfere.     A  tree  which 

[28] 


Secondary  Streets 


is  poor,  either  in  shape  or  in  variet}',  should  be  sacrificed,  but  large  and 
beautiful  trees  should  seldom  or  never  be  removed.  It  is  better  in 
such  instances  to  chans;e  the  walk. 


■^ 


Avoid  this! 


6.  The  sites  for  all  columns,  shafts,  and  architectural  objects  of 
whatever  nature,  to  be  selected  by  a  committee  composed  of  the  Mayor 
of  the  city,  the  President  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  the  President  of 
the  Park  Commission,  the  Head  of  the  Department  of  Landscape 
Architecture  at  the  University  of  Illinois,  and  the  Head  of  the  De- 
partment of  Architecture  at  the  University  of  Illinois. 

7.  Extension  of  East  Springfield  avenue,  Urbana,  thru  to  North 
avenue  in  a  straight  course.  This  will  effect  a  quicker  transit  to  the 
business  section  without  encroaching  upon  adjoining  property. 


Fig.  14. —  A  Typical  Alley 
[29] 


A  Study  in  City  Plan7iing 

8.  Retaining  wall  along  Railroad  street,  Urbana,  with  sixteen 
foot  driveway  along  the  south  side.  Such  a  wall  would  lessen  danger 
and  open  the  street,  which  is  an  approach  to  the  business  district,  to 
increased  traffic. 

g.  Burial  of  telephone  and  electric  light  wires  or  removal  of  poles 
to  the  rear  of  the  lots. 

lo.     Removal    of   center  parking   from  W  ashington  street,  L  rbana. 
The  street  is  too  narrow  for  center  parking  treatment. 

Finallv,  there  must  be  a  word  as  to  the  alleys.  In  residence  dis- 
tricts, alleys  are  objectionable.  The)'  deduct  from  the  depth  of  lot, 
are  the  direct  cause  of  much  traffic  thru  the  rear  yard,  and  are  generally 
and  notorious!}'  dirty  places.  City  streets  are  swept  and  sprinkled, 
but  alleys  seldom  are.  Without  them,  rear  door  yards  may  be  developed 
both  naturally  and  beautifully,  and  with  the  absolute  assurance  that 
delivery  boys  will  not  be  endeavoring  to  make  streets  of  them.  Dis- 
pensing with  alleys  means  that  we  may  plant  our  rear  dooryards  artis- 
tically and  convert  them  into  outdoor  living  rooms. 

\V.  L.  Taylor. 


STREET  TREES 


Street  trees  are  valued  for  their  shade  and  beaut)-.  What  attraction 
would  a  city  without  street  trees  afford  to  a  visitor  looking  for  a  home? 
Would  he  not  prefer  to  locate  in  a  community  well  supplied  with 
beautiful  shade  trees?  The  importance  of  the  tree  in  the  public  streets 
cannot  be  overestimated.  The  tree  thru  its  beauty  encourages  outdoor 
life  and  a  love  for  city  and  home.  That  the  real  estate  man,  establish- 
ing a  subdivision,  realizes  the  value  of  street  trees  to  property  is  evi- 
denced b}-  his  earh-  tree  planting.  In  many  cases  this  precedes  the 
making  of  roads  and  the  la}-ing  of  walks.  In  no  better  way  can  public 
spirit  be  manifested  than  b}'  planting  trees  in  the  streets  for  the  benefit 
of  all. 

In  the  Twin  Cities  there  are  many  examples  of  streets  well  planted 
with  the  best  varieties  of  shade  trees.  This  fact  any  citizen  may  well 
feel  proud  of.  In  most  cases,  also,  the  street  parkings  are  well  suited 
for  the  planting  of  trees.  Many  of  the  residential  streets,  however, 
are  crowded  with  good  and  bad  trees,  while  some  streets  have  but 
few.      In  general,  the  trees  are  irregular  in  alignment  and  size,  and  they 


Fig.  15. —  Some  Street  Trees  Inherited   from  the  Past 
[311 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 


Street  Trees 

seem  to  be  a  little  the  worse  for  the  lack  of  proper  care.  An  example  of 
overcrowding  and  poor  selection  can  be  seen  on  the  west  side  of  Lincoln 
avenue  between  Green  and  Illinois  streets  in  Urbana.  There  are  two 
and  one-half  times  as  many  trees  in  this  block  as  there  ought  to  be. 
The  poor  street  trees  here  are  the  Carolina  poplar  and  the  soft  maple; 
the  good  ones  are  the  American  elm  and  the  hard  maple. 

In  Champaign,  on  the  east  side  of  State  street,  we  find  the  trees 
to  be  of  four  diff'erent  varieties,  viz.,  American  elm,  hard  maple,  American 
ash,  and  box  elder.  The  last  named  variety  is  a  poor  street  tree.  The 
number  of  trees  on  the  east  side  of  the  street  is  proper,  but  they  are 
planted  too  close  together  at  one  end  of  the  block  and  about  the  right 
distance  apart  at  the  opposite  end.  The  west  side  of  the  street  in  this 
block  has  no  street  trees  at  all.  The  selection  of  one  good  variety  for 
a  block  or  entire  street,  planting  the  trees  an  equal  distance  apart  and 
in  a  straight  line,  would  add  greatly  to  the  appearance  of  the  street. 
Good  shade  trees  should  not  be  planted  closer  to  each  other  than  twenty- 
five  feet  at  least. 

Illustrations  of  improper  tree  pruning  are  unnecessary,  since  they 
are  conspicuous  in  almost  every  street.  In  a  civic  work  such  as  the 
care  of  shade  trees,  too  much  emphasis  cannot  be  laid  upon  cooperation. 
Since  one  individual  owns  but  a  part  of  the  property  in  a  block,  it  becomes 
necessary  for  each  owner  to  work  with  his  neighbors,  not  independently 
of  them.  A  community  will  get  the  benefit  if  an  individual  does  the 
right  thing  for  the  trees  in  front  of  his  property,  but  ordinarily  his 
interest  is  spasmodic  and  likely  to  be  ineflfective.  He  neglects  to  have 
his  trees  properly  trimmea,  fertilized,  and  treated  for  injuries,  or  he 
secures  the  services  of  a  "tree  butcher,"  who  ruins  them. 

When  a  community  interest  in  shade  trees  has  been  awakened,  it 
is  best  to  place  their  care  in  the  hands  of  a  competent  and  trained  city 
forester.  In  case  this  is  not  possible  it  is  a  good  plan  to  establish  a 
shade  tree  commission.  If  neither  one  of  these  procedures  can  be 
followed,  it  is  advisable  to  have  a  city  forester  to  work  in  conjunction 
with  the  park  commissioners  of  the  town.  State  laws  should  be  made 
that  would  give  ample  powers  to  such  bodies;  an  organization  of  this 
kind,  properly  supported  by  city  ordinances  and  sufficient  appropria- 
tions, would  soon  accomplish  great  results  toward  a  "city  beautiful." 

J.  F.  Thomason. 


[33] 


THE   PARKS 

In  planning  or  replanning  a  cit}',  the  subject  of  parks  should  be 
treated  with  no  little  emphasis.  In  these  days  the  public  parks  of 
cities  are  receiving  particular  attention.  Those  already  existing  are 
having  their  beauty  and  usefulness  increased  by  modern  equipment 
and  well  designed  planting;  at  the  same  time,  and  with  commendable 
foresight,  new  areas  are  being  purchased  in  preparation  for  the  future 
development  of  the  city. 

The  question  often  arises,  "Can  the  city  afford  a  modern  park 
system.?"  or,  put  another  way,  "Are  parks  and  boulevards  profitable.?" 
That  a  city  can  afford  them  and  that  they  are  profitable  is  readily 
proved  by  numerous  cases  where  cities  have  apparently  assumed  heavy 
burdens  in  laying  out  extensive  park  systems,  only  to  find  that  the 
systems  have  paid  for  themselves  in  a  comparatively  short  time  by 
the  resulting  increase  in  taxes  derived  from  surrounding  property. 
This  shows  that  the  value  of  land  increases  more  rapidly  than  the 
cost  of  the  maintenance  of  parks  and  boulevards.  Therefore,  why  not 
obtain  land  for  such  purposes  now,  while  the  cost  is  yet  within  the 


Fig.  17 — Proposed  Boulicvard  Dru  k  to  Golf  Links 

[3-4] 


Parks 

reach  of  the  cities'  means?  Both  Champaign  and  Urbana  possess 
many  natural  as  well  as  commercial  advantages  over  other  near-by 
cities.  Why  then  should  not  our  two  cities  show  more  active  interest 
in  the  improvement  of  their  public  parks? 

The  Twin  Cities  are  located  in  the  midst  of  fertile  prairies.  Neces- 
sarily this  fact  has  its  effect  upon  the  parks.  It  is  unfortunate  that 
there  is  no  considerable  body  of  water  near  the  towns,  so  that  water, 
and  the  natural  beauty  which  usually  accompanies  it,  cannot  be  utilized 
in  the  park  scheme.  Neither  are  there  any  hills  worthy  of  the  name 
in  either  of  the  two  cities,  so  that  the  parks,  which,  after  all,  are  only 
samples  of  the  country  brought  into  the  city,  must  present  the  charac- 
teristic flatness  of  the  prairies.  In  this  study  the  parks  of  Champaign 
will  be  taken  up  first;  then  those  of  Urbana;  and  finally,  the  grounds 
of  the  university. 

Champaign 

The  cit}'  of  Champaign  is  permitted  to  issue  "anticipation  war- 
rants," designed  to  make  available,  in  the  current  year,  the  next  year's 
tax  levy.  Champaign,  however,  does  not  take  advantage  of  this  sys- 
•tem;  instead,  the  officials  use,  in  the  current  year,  the  previous  year's 
levy,  and  in  this  way  they  keep  one  year's  levy  always  on  hand  to  draw 
upon  if  necessary.  In  191 2  the  tax  levy  for  the  city  of  Champaign  was 
$5.50  per  ^100,  assessed  valuation,  which  is  one-third  of  the  real  valua- 
tion. This  was  an  increase  of  84  cents  over  the  tax  rate  for  191 1. 
This  levy  of  1912  was  divided  as  follows: 

State  tax  on  township       $   .38 

County  tax 30 

Bridge  and  road     36 

Registered  bonds 13 

City  of  Champaign 1-39 

School  District  No.  71 2 .  84 

Parks 10 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  parks  received  a  very  small  part  of  the  total 
tax  levy;  but  in  comparison  with  other  Illinois  towns,  Champaign 
spends  more  per  capita  for  parks  than  most  of  them.  For  instance, 
Elgin  spends  12  cents,  Springfield,  82  cents,  Quinc}-,  27.7  cents,  Rock- 
ford,  8.5  cents,  Danville,  8.8  cents,  Decatur,  15.5  cents,  and  Champaign, 
37  cents.  For  the  past  year  a  fund  of  about  $4600  was  available  for 
park  purposes. 

In  Champaign  there  are  three  moderate-sized  park  areas:  White 
Park,  Scott  Park,  and  Beardsley  Park.  Of  these,  \\'hite  Park  is  the 
largest.     It   is   bounded   by   Church   street   on   the   north,   University 

[35] 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 


avenue  on  the  south,  Elm  street  on  the  west,  and  State  street  on  the 
east.  It  has  an  excellent  location,  being  near  the  best  residence  district 
of  Champaign  and  also  near  the  business  district.  The  New  and 
Church  street  car  lines  pass  it  on  the  north.  The  large  statue  and 
fountain  in  the  center  are  on  the  axis  of  Park  avenue,  and  add  much 
to  the  attractiveness  of  the  park's  appearance  when  approached  from 
the  east  or  west. 

This  park  contains  some  valuable  shade  trees  which  have  recently 
been  pruned  by  tree  experts.  On  the  other  hand,  shrubbery  planting 
has  been  entirely  neglected,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  spiraeas  which 
have  been  inartistically  scattered  beside  one  of  the  walks.  Evidently, 
when  the  walk  system  was  laid  out,  more  attention  was  paid  to  the 
design  than  to  the  practicability  of  it.  This  is  plainly  seen  by  the 
paths  which  have  been  worn,  because  the  walks  do  not  go  directly  to 
the  desired  end,  but  wind  aimlessly  around.  Some  of  the  unnecessary 
curves  may  be  seen  in  the  accompanying  photograph.  The  walks  in 
this  park  should  be  straightened,  especially  in  the  direction  of  the 
most  traffic,  which  is  toward  the  northeast  corner.  At  the  walk  inter- 
sections and  at  the  corners,  a  few  shrubs  advantageously  placed  would 


Fig.  i8. —  White  Park 
[36] 


Parks 

prevent  any  further  cutting  off  of  corners  and  would  break  the  hard 
lines  of  the  walks.  The  drinking  fountain  near  the  northeast  entrance 
has  been  placed  a  short  distance  from  the  walk;  consequently  the 
grass  has  been  trodden  down  between  it  and  the  walk.  This  should 
be  more  conveniently  located  and  others  installed  in  desirable  places 
about  the  park.  The  bandstand  and  large  statue  are  both  well  designed 
and  well  placed,  but  they  lack  the  planting  which  would  give  them  an 
artistic  setting.  Aside  from  the  recreative  and  educational  services 
which  White  Park  now  offers,  it  has  a  distinct  social  service  to  perform 
because  of  its  proximity  to  the  shopping  district.  Tired  shoppers  and 
store  employees  may  find  a  change  of  scene  and  obtain  rest  for  strained 
nerves  in  its  restful  beauty. 

Scott  Park  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  Champaign  and  covers 
a  city  block,  bounded  by  Springfield  avenue  and  Healy  street,  and 
Second  and  Third  streets.  The  John  street  car  line  passes  it  on  the 
east.  In  this  park  the  walk  arrangement  has  been  well  worked  out, 
except  for  wriggly  curves,  but  some  shrubbery  planting  should  be  done 
to  hide  the  bridges  over  the  unsightly  "Boneyard"  and  to  screen  the 
harsh  walk  intersections. 

Beardsley  Park,  situated  between  Beardsley  and  Eureka  avenues 
and  Champaign  and  Walnut  streets,  has  a  very  desirable  location, 
being  in  the  heart  of  a  residence  district  made  up  of  smaller  homes. 
Little  has  yet  been  done  in  the  way  of  beautifying  this  park,  tho  the 
trees  were  trimmed  during  the  last  summer.  Footpaths  have  been 
worn  along  the  lines  of  travel;  walks  should  be  laid  here,  and  shrubbery 
should  be  planted  where  needed  to  screen  walk  junctions  and  bad  views. 
Later,  more  improvements  should  be  added  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  the  community.  The  Neil  street  car  line  runs  a  block  west  of  this 
park. 

In  studying  Champaign  one  notices  a  large  number  of  small  open 
spaces  that  have  been  dignified  by  the  name  of  "park.  "  Most  of  these 
so-called  parks  have  become  such  because  of  their  unavailability  for 
other  purposes.  The  triangular  tract  of  land  lying  back  of  the  city 
hall  occupies  a  commanding  position,  but  is  not  improved.  Those 
attempts  that  have  been  made  toward  beautifying  it  are  hidden  by  the 
drays  and  street  cars  which  are  allowed  to  stand  in  front  of  it.* 

In  his  book  entitled  "Modern  Civic  Art,"  Mr.  Charles  Mulford 
Robinson  says,  "First  impressions  are  notably  virile  and  lasting,  and 

*Improvements  have  been  made  since  the  above  was  written,  as  the  photograph 
taken  in  1914  shows;  but  the  space  still  falls  short  of  its  civic  possibilities. 

[37] 


J  Study  in  City  Planning 


1913 


1914 

Fig.  19. —  Triangle  Back  of  City  Hall 


[38] 


Parks 


Fig.  20. —  The  Writhing  Walk  of  Scott  Park,  Champaign 


I'ig.  21. —  A  Railing  that  Does  Not  Protect,   in  Scott  Park 


[39] 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 

the  stranger  must  form  his  first  impressions  of  the  city  from  the  view 
which  meets  his  eyes  as  he  passes  from  the  station  to  enter  the  city." 
In  Champaign,  both  the  Illinois  Central  and  Big  Four  railroads  have 
developed  small  park  areas  in  conjunction  with  their  stations.  These 
are  neatly  kept  up  and  are  treated  more  extensively  than  the  public 
grounds  of  the  city,  and  materially  affect  the  strangers'  "first  impres- 
sion." 

Summarizing  the  study  of  Champaign,  the  following  conditions 
may  be  noted: 

1.  That  a  small  portion  of  the  tax  levy  goes  for  park  maintenance, 
but  that  it  is  large  as  compared  with  that  of  other  Illinois  towns. 

2.  That  Champaign  received  in  the  last  year  some  $4600  for 
park  use. 

3.  That  White  Park  is  conveniently  located  with  reference  to 
the  business  and  residence  districts  of  Champaign. 

4.  That  the  walks  in  White  Park  do  not  conform  to  the  lines  of 
traffic. 

5.  That  the  bandstand  and  fountain  in  White  Park  are  well 
designed  and  well  placed. 

6.  That  the  walk  system  in  Scott  Park  is  well  worked  out,  but 
poorly  executed. 

7.  That  Beardsley  Park  is  happily  located  in  a  district  containing 
small  house  lots. 

8.  That  there  are  no  walks  in  Beardsley  Park. 

9.  That  all  three  parks  are  easily  accessible  by  street  car. 

10.  That  there  is  very  little  shrubbery  planting  in  the  parks. 

11.  That  the  only  drinking  fountain  is  in  White  Park. 

12.  That  there  are  a  large  number  of  small,  poorly  kept-up  "parks" 
in  Champaign. 

13.  That  the  city  hall  triangle  occupies  an  important  position. 

14.  That    the  railroad  station  grounds  are  well    improved  as  com- 
pared with  the  public  open  spaces  of  the  city. 

15.  That  the  small  park  areas  are  not  under  supervision. 

Urbana 

The  parks  of  Urbana  are  under  the  supervision  of  a  Board  of  Park 
Commissioners  who  have  complete  control  of  them.  No  cost  data 
are  at  hand,  so  it  is  impossible  in  this  report  to  make  a  comparison 
with  other  Illinois  cities.     Under  a  state  law,  of  which  Urbana  has 

[40] 


Parks 


taken  advantage,  the  city  is  given  permission  to  bond  itself  for  not 
more  than  five  per  cent  of  its  assessed  valuation,  the  funds  derived 
from  the  sale  of  these  bonds  to  be  used  for  park  purposes.  Urbana 
has  issued  a  few  bonds,  but  still  has  a  large  fund  to  fall  back  upon  for 
the  purchase  of  new  park  lands,  the  upkeep  cost  to  be  paid  from 
the  general  fund. 

In  Urbana  the  park  situation  is  somewhat  better  than  in  Champaign. 
Urbana  has  water  within  its  limits,  and  advantage  has  been  taken  of 


FIc 


Lagoon  in  Crystal  Lake  Park,   Urbana 


it  in  the  park  development  of  the  town.     There  are  three  parks  in 
Urbana:   Crystal  Lake  Park,  Carle  Park,  and  Leale  Park. 

Crystal  Lake  Park,  lying  three  blocks  north  of  the  Big  Four  depot, 
is  the  largest  park  in  Urbana.  The  Lake  Shore  car  line  serves  this 
park.  The  tract  possesses  exceptional  natural  advantages  and  in 
time  might  be  developed  into  one  of  the  most  beautiful  parks  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  This  park  is  large  enough  for  the  present  needs 
of  the  city,  but,  as  in  the  case  of  the  parks  of  Champaign,  it  has  been 
poorly  handled.  A  successful  start  has  been  made,  however,  by  plant- 
ing along  the  south  border  of  the  park.  Walks  should  be  laid  out  and 
planting  continued  along  them.  The  unsightly  refreshment  stands 
should  be  removed  or  replaced  by  an  uj">-to-date  cafe  or  a  lunchroom. 
The  present  pavilion  should  be  remodeled  or  a  new  one  built  in  its 
stead,  and  the  design  of  the  building  should  harmonize  with  the  sur- 

[411 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 

rounding  landscape.  The  drive  around  the  lake  has  been  planted  with 
elm  trees,  which  in  a  few  years  will  make  a  very  attractive  parkway. 
Planting  should  also  be  carried  along  the  banks  of  the  lake  and  over 
the  many  knolls,  especially  the  one  just  northeast  of  the  present  pavilion 
and  separated  from  it  by  water.  This  spot  might  be  made  very  pictur- 
esque by  planting  carefully  selected  groups  of  shrubs  over  it.  These 
changes,  together  with  an  enlargement  of  the  lake,  would  make  Crystal 
Lake  Park  a  resort  second  to  no  other  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

Leale  Park,  on  University  avenue,  two  blocks  northwest  of  the 
Big  Four  depot,  should  at  present  remain  untouched.  This  park  has 
a  comparatively  well  planned  system  of  walks  and  planting  on  the 
east  side,  while  the  west  side  is  now  being  used  for  a  playground.  It 
is  the  only  favorable  spot  in  this  part  of  the  town  for  a  playground, 
and  should  be  devoted  to  that  purpose.  The  Lake  Shore  street  cars 
run  a  block  and  a  half  east  of  this  park. 

Carle  Park,  covering  some  ten  acres,  is  located  just  west  of  the 
new  Urbana  High  School  building  and  is  well  placed.  It  is  in  the 
heart  of  a  portion  of  Urbana  which  is  being  rapidly  settled  by  well- 
to-do  residents.  The  new  high  school  will  naturally  attract  a  large 
number  of  new  families  to  this  section  of  the  city.  This  park  was 
acquired  at  no  expense  to  the  city,  having  been  a  gift  from  Mrs.  Morse. 
It  has  been  recently  planted  with  numerous  trees  which  in  a  few  years 
will  afford  valuable  shade.  In  the  case  of  this  undeveloped  park, 
having  such  a  valuable  location,  it  would  be  best  to  prepare  now  the 
landscape  design  that  may  be  executed  later,  or  by  degrees,  as  the 
development  of  the  community  demands  it. 

The  railway  station  grounds  in  L^rbana  have  not  been  as  carefully 
developed  as  those  in  Champaign,  the  Big  Four  railroad  being  the  only 
one  to  attempt  the  improvement  of  its  station  grounds.  Consequent!}' 
the  traveler's  "first  impression"  of  Urbana  is  not  as  good  as  it  might  be. 

There  is  considerable  open  space,  between  the  courthouse  and  the 
county  prison,  that  is  kept  up  by  the  count}-.  Altho  not  a  part  of 
the  city  park  system,  it  should  be  developed  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  its  location. 

Summarizing  our  study  of  Urbana,  we  note  the  following  conditions: 

1.  That  Urbana  has  a  bod}'  of  water  within  its  limits. 

2.  That  more  mone}'  for  park  purposes  is  a\'ailable  in  I  rbana  than 
in  Champaign. 

3.  That  Cr}'stal  Lake  Park  has  a  good  natural  location. 

[42] 


Parks 

4.  That  planting  has  been  put  in  along  the  south  border  of  the 
park. 

5.  That  there  is  no  good  walk  system  in  the  park. 

6.  That  a  driveway  has  been  laid  out  along  the  lake  and  planted 
with  elms. 

7.  That  the  buildings  of  this  park  are  poorly  designed  and  con- 
structed. 

8.  That  the  borders  of  the  lake  and  other  unattractive  places  have 
not  been  planted. 

9.  That  the  lake  is  comparativeh'  narrow. 

10.  That  Leale  Park  is  well  designed  and  planted. 

11.  That  the  west  portion  of  this  park  is  being    used  as  a    play- 
ground. 

12.  That  Carle  Park  is  exceptionally  well  located. 

13.  That    a  number  of    trees  have  recently  been  planted  in  this 
park. 

14.  That  the  station  grounds  are  not  carefully  developed. 

15.  That  the   courthouse  square  is  not  suitably   developed  to  meet 
the  requirements  of  its  location. 

The  University  of  Illinois 

So  far  in  this  report  only  the  park  areas  controlled  by  the  towns 
have  been  mentioned;  but  midway  between  the  towns  and  controlled 
by  neither  of  them,  yet  practically  a  part  of  the  park  system  of  both, 
is  the  park-like  campus  of  the  University  of  Illinois.  Since  the  campus 
with  its  improvements  is  privately  controlled,  it  needs  no  further 
comment  here. 

Conclusion 

Since  the  citizens  of  the  Twin  Cities  in  the  past  have  had  foresight 
enough  to  set  aside  our  present  park  areas,  why  should  not  we,  in  turn, 
continue  their  work  and  set  aside  new  areas,  as  the  cities  are  steadily 
growing  and  have  before  them  an  assured  future.' 

Southwest  Champaign  is  rapidly  developing,  and  a  moderately 
large  area  should  be  reserved  for  park  purposes  before  the  cost  of 
propertv  increases  further.  This  area  should  be  at  a  considerable 
distance  south  of  the  present  West  End  Park. 

In  Urbana,  the  tract  of  land  just  east  of  Crystal  Lake  Park  might 
be  bought  and  added  to  that  park.  A  portion  of  this  area  should  be 
developed  into  a  playground.     Southeast  Urbana  is  in  need  of  a  park 

[43] 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 


of  some  kind.     Several  small  open  areas  suitable  for  parks  are  to  be 

found  in  this  district,  and  should  be  set  aside  by  the  city  while  they 

are  still  clear  of  buildings. 

In  conclusion  we  find  that  the  park  conditions  are  not  much  better 

nor  much  worse  in  the  Twin  Cities  than  in  most  other  Illinois  towns, 

but  that  there  is  room  for  improvement;  and  that  all  these  changes 

and  conditions,  carefully  considered  and  executed,  will  make  the  park 

systems  of  Urbana  and  Champaign  able  to  more  than  hold  their  own, 

so  that  they  will  be  considered   as  models  to  be  patterned  after  by 

other  modern  cities  of  their  size. 

H.  S.  Mueller. 
H.  T.  Reeves. 


44] 


PLAYGROUNDS 

The  first  question  which  townspeople  ask  themselves  when  the 
subject  of  playgrounds  is  brought  up,  is,  "Are  they  needed?"  Play- 
grounds are  often  erroneously  considered  as  distinctly  the  problem 
of  the  large  cities  which  have  slums  and  very  badly  congested  districts. 
Playgrounds  are,  it  is  true,  now  recognized  institutions  in  many  of  the 
larger  cities;  but  they  are  worthily  receiving  increasing  attention  in 
the  smaller  cities  and  towns.  As  an  indication  of  this  attitude,  a  bill 
recently  passed  by  the  Massachusetts  legislature  requiring  all  towns 
with  a  population  of  over  ten  thousand  to  vote  upon  the  subject  of 
playgrounds  is  significant.  In  all  kinds  of  communities  they  have 
been  found  to  be  strong  factors  for  good,  in  serving  to  keep  the  children 
off  the  streets  and  in  offering  them  an  outlet  for  their  energies,  besides 
affording  older  people  space  for  band  concerts  and  for  meetings  of 
various  kinds. 

*  A  study  of  Champaign-Urbana  shows  that  Champaign  has  a  popu- 
lation of  about  twelve  thousand  and  Urbana  of  about  nine  thousand 
people.  The  wealth  of  the  Twin  Cities  has  its  source  in  the  surrounding 
rich  agricultural  territory  and  is  not  mainly  derived  from  manufacturing 
interests.  As  a  result,  the  population  consists  in  very  small  part 
of  foreign  born  people.  There  are,  however,  a  number  of  negroes  of 
the  poorer  class  in  Champaign.  This  element,  with  the  poorer  white 
class  principally  lives  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town.  The  prop- 
erty is  cheap,  the  streets  mostly  unimproved,  and  only  poor  walks  are 
provided.  The  general  sanitary  conditions  of  the  section  are  poor, 
and  go  to  prove  that  slums  are  not  confined  to  large  cities  and  foreign 
populations  only. 

This  district  in  Champaign  extends  from  University  avenue  north 
to  the  edge  of  town  and  from  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  tracks  to  the 
east  boundary  of  the  city.  The  same  class  of  people  live  across  the 
border  as  far  as  Goodwin  avenue.  This  tract, then, is  about  seven  blocks 
wide,  north  and  south,  and  ten  blocks  long,  east  and  west.  The 
balance  of  the  residence  portions  of  the  two  towns  is  in  from  fair  to 
good  condition,  tho  not  much  has  been  done  in  a  recreational  line. 

Last  year,  however,  a  club  was  formed  of  prominent  Urbana  and 
Champaign  people,  known  as  the  Twin  City  Playground  Association. 

[45] 


A  Study  in  City  Plan7iing 

The  funds  were  raised  by  public  subscription  to  the  amount  of  ^6000, 
$3000  of  which  were  to  go  for  playgrounds,  and  ^3000  for  a  swimming 
pool.  A  man  was  engaged  to  make  a  survey  of  conditions  and  it  was 
finally  decided  to  equip  two  school  yards  in  each  city  until  more  funds 
could  be  obtained.  In  Champaign,  the  Colonel  Wolfe  school  on  the 
east  side  and  the  Avenue  school  on  the  west  side  were  equipped.  In 
all  there  are  eight  active  grammar  schools  in  Champaign  with  a  total 
enrollment  of  1850,  and  it  was  unfortunate  that  no  school  }-ard  was 
selected  for  the  experiment  in  the  northern  part  of  town,  where  a 
playground  was  badly  needed.  The  reason  is  evident,  however,  for 
the  donors  of  the  fund  natural!}'  demanded  the  playground  in  their 
immediate  section,  instead  of  in  a  section  from  which  no  subscriptions 
were  received. 

The  fund  raised  for  playgrounds  by  the  association  has  been  found 
to  be  inadequate,  and  little  can  be  done  until  additional  money  is 
raised.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  proposed  pool  be  located  in 
Scott  Park.  Tho  Scott  Park  is  a  desirable  location  as  regards  acces- 
sibility by  both  cities,  it  is  our  judgment  that  the  park  should  not  be 
devoted  to  this  use.  Rather,  the  vacant  lots  facing  the  park  on  Healey 
and  Third  streets  should  be  acquired  and  used  for  the  swimming  pool 
and  playground.  Champaign  people,  however,  have  furnished  most 
of  the  money  and  are  now  agitating  the  location  of  the  pool  nearer  the 
center  of  their  own  town. 

In  Champaign,  the  schools  have  sufficient  play  space,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Lincoln,  Marquette,  and  Gregory  schools,  tho  it 
might  be  well  to  point  out  that  the  Colonel  Wolfe  school,  in  spite  of 
the  playground  equipment  which  the  association  has  given  it,  lacks 
complete  efficiency  as  a  result  of  a  lack  of  adequate  supervision.  The 
playground  should  be  an  example  of  orderliness  and  neatness,  and  in 
this  should  be  an  inspiration  to  the  children  and  a  thing  of  which  the 
children  are  proud.  The  pla}'  area  of  this  }-ard  has  not  been  separated 
from  the  lawn  areas,  and  the  final  location  of  the  apparatus  could  be 
better  arranged.  In  fact,  this  criticism  might  be  applied  generally 
to  the  other  school  yards  in  both  towns. 

In  Urbana  the  four  grammar  schools  have  sufficient  room,  and 
two,  the  Leal  and  Webber,  are  equipped  with  playground  apparatus 
to  the  extent  of  the  available  funds. 

In  both  towns  the  high  schools  are  fortunate  in  having  large  grounds 
for  their  athletic  activities,  the  grounds  of  the  Champaign  High  School 
having  been  purchased  thru  a  private  donation  for  that  purpose. 

[46] 


Playgrounds 


I'ig.  2^ — \  lEws  OF  thf;  Grounds  of  the  Colonel  Wolfk  School,  Showinc;   Neg 

LECTEi)  Opportunities 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 


The  school  playgrounds  are  under  the  general  supervision  of  Mr, 
Mills  of  the  Chicago  park  system.  His  salary  of  $1500  is  paid  as  follows: 
^500  by  the  Playground  Association,  $400  by  Urbana,  and  $600  by 
Champaign.  He  works  in  Urbana  on  Tuesday  and  Thursday  and 
the  remainder  of  the  week  in  Champaign.  Girls  from  the  university 
who  are  specializing  in  physical  training  are  assisting  in  the  afternoons 
and  on  Saturdays,  acting  as  instructors  at  the  respective  schools.  They 
receive  no  pay. 

Properly  considered,  the  subject  of  playgrounds  is  wide  in  its 
scope,  including  not  only  the  children  and  young  people  but  the  older 
members  of  the  community  as  well.  It  is  a  recognized  fact  that  the 
things  people  do  in  their  leisure  hours  are  the  things  not  only  vitally 
relating  to  their  health  but  also  to  their  morals,  characters,  and  person- 
alities. Therefore,  the  problem  of  recreation  is  concerned  not  so  much 
with  the  question  of  the  desirability  of  leisure  time,  as  with  the  proper 
use  of  that  time. 

As  regards  the  future,  it  is  necessary  to  decide  what  groups  of 
people  we  wish  to  reach.  There  are  two  important  groups  to  be  con- 
sidered in  this  connection — school  children,  and  working  people. 
The  school  children  are  really  divisible  into  two  groups  also,  the  small 
children  and  the  larger  ones,  over  ten  years  old,  the  older  of  whom  can 
use  the  larger  playgrounds,  such  as  that  proposed  adjoining  Scott 
Park.  The  university  students  need  not  be  considered,  since  they 
are  well  provided  for  by  the  university. 

The  selection  and  location  of  all  playgrounds  should  be  made  with 
this  classification  in  mind.  Hence,  playground  sites  for  small  children 
should  be  confined  to  the  more  densely  populated  districts  of  the  cities. 
The  school  grounds,  or  lots  close  by  them,  are  best  suited  for  this  group. 
The  control,  however,  should  be  under  a  separate  commission  rather 
than  under  the  school  board. 

School  yards  are  for  many  reasons  admirably  adapted  to  serve 
as  playgrounds  for  young  children,  both  because  of  the  economy  in 
running  playgrounds  in  conjunction  with  the  schools,  thus  not  having 
to  support  them  as  separate  units,  and  for  other  reasons  which  are 
stated  below.  But  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  school  grounds 
alone  are  inadequate  to  handle  the  entire  recreational  situation.  Larger, 
more  fully  equipped  playgrounds,  which  older  people  and  the  young 
men  and  women  of  the  community  can  enjo}%  must  supplement  the 
school  playgrounds. 

School  grounds  are  good  places  in  which  to  locate  the  playgrounds 

[48] 


Playgrounds 

of  younger  children  for  these  reasons:  They  are  already  owned  and 
maintained  by  the  city,  and  it  requires  but  a  slight  additional  cost  to 
equip  and  maintain  the  playground  when  once  the  land  is  secured. 
They  offer  toilet  and  shelter  facilities  without  extra  expense.  Attend- 
ance is  increased,  since  the  children  find  the  school  and  its  yard  attract- 
ive. The  playground  serves  to  keep  the  children  off  the  street  besides 
affording  them  an  opportunity  to  mingle,  to  know  each  other,  and  to 
develop  self-reliance  and  individuality.  It  gives  a  safe  vent  to  their 
animal  spirits  and  their  impulses  for  recreation  and  action,  with  the 
result  that  when  they  settle  down  to  study  they  give  their  entire  atten- 
tion to  their  work. 

In  suggesting  a  concrete  scheme  for  future  development,  the  follow- 
ing is  recommended  for  both  cities:  That  for  the  first  group,  composed 
of  school  children,  the  school  yards  be  made  as  nearly  as  possible  Into 
playgrounds,  with  proper  equipment  and  apparatus;  that  where  possible, 
the  children  be  allowed  to  have  small  individual  gardens;  that  a  closer 
study  of  the  location  of  the  apparatus  be  made  so  as  to  make  the  school 
yards  as  attractive  as  possible  while  combining  all  the  facilities  in  such 
a  manner  as  not  to  interfere.  At  present,  of  course,  lack  of  money 
hampers  this  to  some  extent,  since  it  prevents  the  taking  of  steps  to 
drain  the  property  and  put  it  In  good  condition.  Study  would  show 
that  in  each  case  a  portion  of  the  grounds  could  be  properly  planted 
out  with  shrubbery  and  turf,  w^Ith  the  use  of  thorny  shrubs  where 
children  would  be  likely  to  cut  corners  or  damage  It.  This  portion 
would  also  serve,  perhaps,  as  a  subject  for  class  study.  Planting  about 
the  building  would  make  It  and  the  yard  much  more  attractive  and 
might  In  some  localities  aid  in  Improving  the  neighborhood.  At 
present,  more  apparatus  is  desirable  in  all  the  school  yards.  Giant 
strides  should  be  Installed  for  use  in  the  playgrounds,  as  they  add  quite 
a  bit  to  the  pleasure  of  the  nervous  boy  at  a  small  cost.  For  the  smaller 
children,  sand  boxes,  slides,  see-saws,  and  swings  afford  ample  amuse- 
ment and  are  not  prohibitive  in  price.  Parallel  bars,  trapezes,  and 
other  outdoor  gymnastic  apparatus  are  good  for  the  growing  boys, 
while  swings,  simple  gymnastic  apparatus,  and  a  grass  area  upon  which 
to  play  games,  satisfy  the  girls. 

The  older  group,  composed  of  working  people  and  older  children, 
should  be  provided  for  by  the  recreation  area  mentioned  above,  ad- 
joining Scott  Park.  This  should  be  equipped  with  a  swimming  pool, 
a  field-house,  and  gymnastic  apparatus,  and  should  be  developed  as 
soon  as  possible.     This  recreation  area  is  relatively  central  In  location 

[49] 


A  Study  in  City  Planning 

and  casil)-  reached  b\'  street  cars,  and  should  serve  both  towns  for  some 
time.  Later,  as  a  greater  need  for  it  arises,  a  portion  of  Crystal  Lake 
Park  should  be  properly  equipped  for  this  purpose  in  L-rbana,  as  should 
West  End  Park  in  Champaign.  Crystal  Lake  Park  would  conveniently 
serve  the  people  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Big  Four  shops  as  well  as  Urbana 
in  general,  while  West  End  Park  could  very  well  accommodate  the 
people  out  near  Bonner. 

The  two  athletic  fields  which  are  near  the  respective  high  schools 
of  each  cit}'  should  be  improved.  At  present  they  are  worthless. 
Plans  for  their  development  should  be  made  at  once.  The  new  tract 
of  land  recenth'  acquired  on  the  south  side  of  Champaign  near  the 
new  high  school  will  make  an  admirable  field  and  playground  for 
that  district  when  properly  developed,  as  there  is  enough  space  for 
a  running  track,  baseball,  basketball,  and  a  football  field,  beside  other 
forms  of  amusement  which  could  be  worked  in.  Skating  could  also 
be  provided  for  in  the  winter  by  flooding,  and  is  especially  needed  in 
that  vicinity.  The  same  type  of  development  should  be  followed 
with  the  Urbana  High  School. 

As  the  present  manner  of  financing  the  recreative  system  is  inade- 
quate and  short-sighted,  a  better  way  to  provide  the  funds  should  be 
evolved.  Two  common  w^ays  exist.  One  is  known  as  the  district 
plan;  the  other  provides  a  fund  by  a  general  tax  of  a  certain  number 
of  mills,  to  be  devoted  to  playgrounds,  upon  each  dollar  of  tax.  The 
latter  plan  would  probably  prove  the  best;  under  such  arrangement  a 
definite  scheme  of  development  should  be  followed.  The  amount 
available  for  this  kind  of  work  would  be  definitely  known  and  would 
increase  as  the  city  grows.  Besides,  sudden  desires  for  economy  could 
not  then  destroy  the  maintenance  program.  The  removal  of  the  man- 
agement of  the  playgrounds  from  possible  future  political  control  or 
influence,  by  means  of  a  separate  commission  established  under  the 
constitution  and  requiring  no  appropriation,  would  also  be  a  desirable 
step.  Until  such  a  system  is  well  organized  and  put  in  force,  the 
management  and  advancement  is  likely  to  be  haphazard  and  irregular. 
The  commission  should  not  be  under  the  school  board. 

As  regards  the  people  working  in  the  shops  and  factories,  until 
the  proposed  play  areas  are  established,  it  might  be  suggested  to  the 
managements  that  land  owned  by  them  in  the  vicinity  of  their  factories 
might  be  developed  into  recreation  areas,  with  great  profit  to  them 
in  increased  efficiency.  The  shops  of  E.  TvL  Burr  and  Company  in  the 
northern  part  of  Champaign  and  the  Big  Four  shops  inUrbana  especially 

[50] 


Playgrounds 

need  recreation  provisions.      It  is  fitting  that  the  playfiekls  be  established 

in  part  at  least,  by  the  factories  affected,  as  they  reap  the  benefit  in 

greater  efficiency. 

The  playgrounds  to  the  extent  recommended  herein  would  not  be 

a  luxury  but  a  very  practical  investment,  and  would  do  much  to  raise 

the  moral  and  ph}-sical  tone  of  the  towns. 

C.   B.  Andrews. 
Jean  K.  Ripley. 
W.  L.   Ramsey. 
W.  M.  Welty. 

Extract  from  Chicago   South   Side   Park  Commission   Report,    1909. 

Swimming  Pools: 

The  swimming  pools  not  only  furnish  means  of  cleanliness,  but  are  an  unsurpassed 
form  of  recreation  during  the  hot  days  of  June  to  September  inclusive.  The  total  number 
of  bathers  were  768,509.  It  was  not  an  uncommon  event  in  any  of  the  parks  to  have  an 
attendance  of  from  ten  to  twelve  thousand  weekly.  The  pools  were  open  from  10  a.  m. 
to  10  p.  m.  daily.  Girls  were  given  exclusive  use  two  days  and  two  nights  out  of  each 
week,  boys  and  men  three  days  and  nights,  and  the  remaining  two  days  were  used  for 
emptying,  cleaning,  and  filling  the  pools.  Instructors  in  swimming  were  not  employed, 
but  the  pools  were  guarded  by  life  savers,  who  were  not  only  watchful  to  the  patrons  of 
the  pool  but  who  gave  suggestive  assistance  to  those  who  were  learning  to  swim.  Each 
person  who  entered  the  pool  was  required  before  entering  to  take  a  thorough  shower 
bath,  and  to  give  evidence  of  freedom  from  disease.  These  safeguards  have  enabled  us 
to  record  the  fourth  season  of  operation  of  the  pools  without  evidence  of  skin,  eye,  or 
throat  affections  resulting  from  the  use  of  the  pools.  Swimming  and  diving  contests 
were  held  in  many  of  the  pools,  to  the  keenest  delight  of  the  bathers. 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  UBRARY 


